The Environmental Movement to Clean Up the Oceans

Oceans are becoming more and more polluted with plastic debris. This is an issue that affects all life on earth and requires collective human action to remedy. Fortunately, there are amazing environmental groups working hard to mitigate the plastic pollution in our oceans. Let’s take a look at some of the most impactful ones.

1) 5 Gyres Institute – Founded in 2009, this organization is focused on addressing the global health crisis of plastic pollution by focusing on research, education, and policy advocacy. To date, they have conducted 16 scientific expeditions around the world and have helped pass over 175 local and state-level legislative actions to reduce single-use plastics. They also advocate for global policies that can help reduce plastic pollution.

2) Ocean Conservancy – Established in 1972, Ocean Conservancy works to protect our ocean ecosystems through science-based solutions. They work to keep garbage out of our oceans by tackling one of the root causes of ocean debris—overfishing. They also work to restore marine habitats like coral reefs which can help mitigate climate change while also serving as a natural filter against plastic pollutants. They also partner with coastal communities and businesses to help create sustainable fishing practices that can minimize waste going into our oceans.

3) 4Ocean – Founded in 2017, 4Ocean is a company dedicated to cleaning up trash from our oceans by using their 4R’s approach: Remove, Recycle, Redesign & Restore. Their mission statement is “to end the ocean plastic crisis one pound at a time” and they have removed over 8 million pounds of trash from beaches around the world since their founding! In addition to their cleanups, they also educate people about ocean conservation through their blog and social media campaigns.

All these organizations are doing incredible work towards cleaning up our oceans from plastic waste but it's clear that we still have a long way to go before we see any lasting change in our environment. We must all do our part in reducing single-use plastics and educating ourselves about how we can be more conscious consumers if we want to leave behind a better planet for future generations. With concerted efforts from everyone involved—from individuals to large companies—we may yet find success in cleaning up our oceans once again.