Million for a Million funding kick-starts Plastic Oceans initiative ‘BlueCommunities’

Together with Plastic Oceans International, we are pleased to announce the launch of BlueCommunities, a global sustainability initiative funded by donations raised in our 2019 Million for a Million campaign. BlueCommunities aims to establish collaborative partnerships with local communities and organizations, supporting projects that can inspire worldwide change.

A BlueCommunity is a shared geographic region of any kind or size (a village, town, city, or province), whose local culture and economy are driven by the waterways they inhabit – whether an ocean, sea, lake or river. Plastic Oceans seeks out local partners with pre-existing socio-environmental programs that are making a difference in their communities.

In addition to mini grants, guidance, and other resources, the BlueCommunities initiative also offers these local partners the chance to connect with like-minded organizations. It’s an opportunity to share ideas, support one another, learn from each other, and positively impact communities beyond their own.

“We don’t look to come in and impose our projects and way of doing things,” said Tod Hardin, Chief Operating Officer of Plastic Oceans International. “Instead, we want to enhance what’s already working. It’s about learning from our partners and using our global resources and experience to create a larger impact and give these local efforts a worldwide voice.”

Campeche in Mexico is the site of the BlueCommunities pilot programme. Jon Bonfiglio, of partner organization Ninth Wave Global, in Campeche, said “The joy - and a meaningful joy it is - of Blue Communities is that it reminds us that we are not alone in this. That we have brothers and sisters across the water who have our backs, and that we have theirs; that we are many, that we are strong, and that together we can make a difference.”

BlueCommunities has already launched in six communities, and Plastic Oceans International has an ambitious goal of onboarding over 250 communities and 1,000 members by the end of 2022. They believe this will impact at least 10,000,000 people around the world.

For more information, please visit PlasticOceans.org/BlueCommunities.