Why We Chose to be Charter Members of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network
In May 2019 on the Sargasso Sea in the middle of the North
Atlantic Gyre I snorkeled among the sargassum in water bluer than imaginable
and over 1000 feet deep. This underwater
paradise was beautiful but also contained a troubling amount of plastic waste including
sunscreen bottles, toothbrushes—even toilet seats, and of course microplastics
–tiny fragments that entered this pristine environment as once recognizable
items that have broken down over time.
This eye-opening field-work to learn more about marine
debris in the North Atlantic gyre was part of SoulBuffalo’s first ever Ocean Plastics Leadership
Summit, a convening of plastic
industry executives, brand owners and NGOs. We traveled to the Sargasso Sea to
get up-close and hands-on with ocean plastic pollution. The expedition also
provided opportunities to discuss programs and projects that can inspire
partnerships, joint ventures, and R&D initiatives to help mitigate ocean
pollution.
Working and discussing solutions alongside representatives
from Greenpeace, 5Gyres and WWF, it became clear to all—no single entity can
solve the global challenge of ocean plastic pollution. To truly implement
effective change, collaboration is our only path forward.
That’s why we’re proud to be a charter member of
SoulBuffalo’s newly launched Ocean Plastics Leadership Network (OPLN). The OPLN is a much welcomed evolution and
formalization of the work begun during the May 2019 summit in the North
Atlantic. While everyone aboard the One
Ocean research ship shared the common goal of ending ocean plastic
pollution, and many are already engaged in important work to help protect our
ocean, it became even clearer that we can do more if we work together.
U.S. resin manufacturers share a deep commitment to ending
plastic waste. As an industry, we’re working swiftly with our global partners
to drive meaningful change. Success will require innovations in design, new
business models, technology development and expanded waste management
infrastructure that will help capture more plastics and put their value to work
as resources and raw materials. Our members are already working to change how
plastic is captured and reused. We’ve set forth ambitious circular
economy goals for plastic
packaging. We launched the Alliance
to End Plastic Waste. And, we’ve
implemented a new membership tier to our longstanding resin pellet stewardship
program, Operation
Clean Sweep (OCS), to enhance the tracking, reporting and
prevention of plastic pellet losses.
Participation in the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network
further strengthens our ties to other stakeholders working on this critical,
global problem. Now, more than ever, we must share best practices and technical
expertise, continually exchange ideas and, most importantly, listen to one
another.
Read more about the launch of the Ocean Plastic
Leadership Network here and follow it on LinkedIn. You can also keep up with the work we’re
doing through the Global Plastics Alliance via Twitter or visit www.marinelittersolutions.org
The post Why We Chose to be Charter Members of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network appeared first on American Chemistry Matters.
