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/