Dear Friends of 5 Gyres,
Thank you for faithfully following along with us this year as we navigate the sometimes tumultuous waters of science, advocacy, and education in the plastic pollution space. You and your support are what keeps us forging ahead, and we are so grateful for your steadfast belief in a plastic-free future.
But, how do we actually drive towards meaningful solutions to reduce the harm from plastics, and avoid distractions along the way?
The public is inundated with flashy-sounding “false solutions”, like ocean cleanup, advanced recycling, and plastic-eating microbes that merely distract us from the urgent need to turn off the tap. Our research shows that the 170 TRILLION pieces of plastic smog blanketing our ocean cannot be realistically removed, recycled, or thrown “away”. The plastic pollution crisis can’t be solved by simply cleaning it up.
Instead, 5 Gyres is addressing plastic pollution where we believe we’ll have the biggest impact – at the source. Our sectors-based approach to the issue will help to break down the stakeholders, materials, sources, fates, and of course, solutions to each piece of the plastic pollution pie.
So, where does 5 Gyres think the solution to plastic starts?