Recover 5 Million Pounds of Ocean Plastic

As you know, Ocean Blue Project is committed to removing 1 million pounds of debris before it reaches our sea by 2025. Thanks to generous volunteers and donors like you, we've been able to recover over 244,284 pounds of debris since 2012. Every dollar donated cleans 1 pound of plastic from waterways and beaches, and ultimately our one world ocean.  

Every piece of plastic that enters our storm drains may eventually make its way downstream to the Ocean and onto our beaches. Plastics break down into microplastics, and will remain on our planet indefinitely.

Here are some startling facts that need solutions right now, which Ocean Blue Project is solving daily through beach cleanups and donations from amazing people like you:

• By 2050 there will be more plastic in the Ocean than fish
• Over 8 Million Tons of plastic flow into our Ocean every year
• 79% of all beach Debris are made of plastics that birds mistake for food
• 55% of America's waterways are in poor condition

This year's Earth Day theme was Invest in Our Planet. And, if Earth Day is anything, it’s a time for us all to recommit to what matters most. Ocean Blue supporters committed to the recovery of 43,736 more pounds of plastic and debris during Earth Month at the beginning of our Microplastics Recovery season.

King Tides are behind us for another year, and the weather is warming up, which means our team is hitting Oregon and Texas beaches with boots-in-the-sand this spring and summer to recover tens of thousands of pounds of plastic, derelict fishing gear, and marine debris. With the 164,014 pounds pledged to recover in 2021, the Ocean Blue Team has our work cut out for us this year. That's a total of 207,750 pounds to go and so far, we've removed 53,011 pounds of that. 

Ocean Blue team members are in the field for our 10th Birthday and World Ocean Day with a goal to recover at least the 154,739 pounds left that you have contributed to us recovering. This is just the tip of the iceberg though. With over 8 million metric tons entering the seas each year, we need to do more. Much more. 

But, just like every wave, we are beginning our 10th year on June 8th, World Ocean Day, as a ripple. And ripples make waves. Help Ocean Blue make waves! Let's reach 1 million pounds of plastic together! 

Links:

• https://oceanblueproject.org/solutions-to-microplastics-research-projects/

All around the United States, Ocean Blue volunteers have been attending and creating their own cleanups since our organization was founded in 2012. As we approach the new year when we will celebrate our 10th Birthday, we are also preparing to launch ocean cleanup machines on Oregon beaches, the same state where our nationwide boots-on-the-sand nonprofit got started. 

Cleaning beaches in Oregon, California, Florida, and so many other beautiful coastal states and beyond clearly reveals to us our global microplastics problem. While cleaning up land-based debris like single-use plastic cups, straws and wrappers is fairly easy to do, picking up microplastics is a challenge.

Plastic pollution starts inland and makes its way to the ocean through waterways. The ocean tides break up the plastic, and it breaks up even more in the sunlight on hot, sandy beaches. Plastic never fully biodegrades. Tides deliver plastic fragments, mircroplastics, and lentil-sized nurdles onto beaches where we are able to use the equipment to sift 4 inches of sand and recover plastics down to 2mm in size for upcycling, and anything to keep plastic out of the ocean and out of the landfill. 

Researchers will also be analyzing the ocean tides, beaches and the plastics recovered to understand what types of plastic are being washed up with the tides, how it's being washed up, and possibly find out where the plastic is coming from before landing on Oregon beaches. 

Ocean Blue is working with Andrews-Cooper, an engineering firm based in Portland and Oregon State University engingeering students to analyze effectiveness and improve the current machine now waiting for calmer seas and dry sand in the summer of 2022. World Ocean Day, June 8th 2022, is Ocean Blue Project's 10th Birthday and we can't wait to celebrate by getting our boots-in-the-sand to see just how much plastic the equipment uncovers. 

We have currently recovered over 235,000 pounds of plastic and debris. During our 1st Annual Save the Waves campaign, we have received pledges and donations of $295,000, which means we will have the funding to support the recovery of at least 295,000 pounds of plastic and debris.

Our goal is to reach 1 million pounds of plastic and debris recovered and we still have 1 week to go for our campaign! Thank you so much for being a vital part of this ocean cleanup effort. We are honored to have you join us for the next 10 years. 

Warm regards, 

Karisa Arterbury

Director of Operations

Ocean Blue Project

karisa@oceanblueproject.org