Collaborating for Cleaner Waters: B Corp Initiative Funds Research to Reduce Plastics in the Ocean
By: B The Change
Tags: Oceans, Business Strategy, Plastic Pollution, Environment, B Corp

Providing funds for research into those solutions is a key component of POPi: Preserve will give 25% of net proceeds to organizations working to stop the flow of plastic pollution from source to sea. The first two benefactor organizations are Renew Oceans and Five Gyres.

“Five Gyres are really breaking trails as related to research and the effects of plastics on the ocean,” Hudson says of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit. “They’re getting out there, doing trips on boats, screening for plastics, understanding what has happened to plastics and the ecosystems they’re affecting. They’re also trying to bring the hopeful side to their research.”

Renew Oceans, a nonprofit headquartered in India, works to stop the flow of plastics into major rivers and then into the ocean, Hudson says, focusing on the highly populated areas near rivers in developing parts of the world.

“Renew Oceans is all about going at these rivers one at a time and using catchment technologies that screen the surface of the river to stop the flow of plastics in that river toward the ocean,” he says. “We’re really excited to be supporting them and their efforts. As POPi moves on beyond launch, we’d like to join our partners for either a day of research on a ship or in a lab or actually screen the rivers.”

Sharing information and creating conversations about the issue of ocean plastics is a part of POPi’s broader goals, Hudson says. He points to research from Five Gyers that says if the flow of plastics into oceans can be reduced by 20% in the next seven years, that would return the ocean a state of homeostasis where marine life can better tolerate the amount of plastics.

“It’s a hopeful goal. There’s a lot that can be done to reduce this flow by 20%,” he says, noting that a broader contributing factor are inadequate waste management systems in some countries. “That’s an area where the whole world has a stake in their waste, to better process their waste.”

Through POPi, Preserve will develop razor handles and toothbrushes made from plant-based, marine biodegradable materials. 25% of the proceeds of POPi products sold will be donated to nonprofits that work to clean up oceans and beaches, support marine conservation, and research plastic pollution.

A Natural Collaboration

The other POPi partnership, with Grove Collaborative, emerged after a meeting earlier this year at Expo West, where Hudson outlined POPi and its global goals to protect the ocean and raise awareness of plastic pollution.

“They essentially were our little Kickstarter,” Hudson says. “It’s a very good example of B Corps working together.”

Grove Collaborative, which has a large and loyal following of sustainability-minded subscribers, shares Hudson’s enthusiasm for POPi and its overarching goals, CEO Stuart Landesberg says.

“We are excited to be the exclusive marketplace for the launch of POPi, an initiative that is so aligned with our core mission,” he says. “Like Preserve, Grove is committed to reducing the impact of plastic on our planet. This year alone, Grove will save 1 million pounds of plastic from entering the oceans and is honored to partner with other brands working toward a plastic-free future.”

To spread the word about POPi, Grove will use its social, digital and email channels to inform its community and provide a forum for customers looking to act on the challenge of plastics in the ocean.