Mission
Our mission as the Environmental Cleanup Coalition is to restore health to a dying ocean. We will create and implement innovative design strategies for cleaning up the floating debris that is clogging the North Pacific Gyre. We will find safer uses for or disposal of the estimated 3.5 million tons of plastic in the ocean today and we will carefully dispose of the unknown amount of debris that will arrive in the future. We will nurture the return and growth of sea life populations in the affected marine environment. We will raise public awareness of the danger of plastics in the ocean and advocate a transformation away from the environmentally destructive “throw away culture” and towards a society that takes responsibility for its waste. Our goal is simple and incredible: the largest environmental cleanup in history.
Cleaning up marine pollution is no small job. Some ocean scientists do not believe a North Pacific Gyre cleanup is possible. There is an almost unfathomable amount of plastic in the ocean and much of it has degraded into tiny, sludgy pieces, making cleanup difficult. We must stop the unrestrained and irresponsible production of plastic materials and prevent any more plastic from ending up in the ocean. However, there is a terrible mess of degrading plastic: bottles, rope, lighters, Styrofoam, and fragments already out there. Marine garbage is killing birds, fish and other animals. It is contaminating the entire food chain with toxins that are detrimental to the health of humans. If we do not attempt a cleanup, this environmental disaster will be around forever.
Pioneering a cleanup in the heart of the “garbage-patch” is a necessary part of full ocean health restoration. We believe our mothers had it right: “If you make a mess, you should clean it up.” The beauty and health of the North Pacific Ocean is at stake. The Gyre Cleanup Project is trailblazing a historic environmental rescue mission: a challenge worthy of our greatest effort.
We can all do something to help cleanup the ocean. The first step in change is awareness. To gain awareness you must care. The good news is that by reading this, you are already making a difference! Explore our website, learn more about the Environmental Cleanup Coalition projects today and we will heal the ocean together.