The Waste Free Oceans Foundation&nbsp;removes and transforms marine litter by mobilising fisheries,recyclers and brand owners. WFO removes floating plastic debris in waste hotspots around the world and then upcycles it into meaningful products.

Waste Free Oceans

The Waste Free Oceans Foundation&nbsp;removes and transforms marine litter by mobilising fisheries,recyclers and brand owners. WFO removes floating...

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Victor Préaux

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"Plastian the Little Fish" raises awareness on plastic in our seas

Waste Free Oceans Launches Children's book on Marine Litter

Waste Free Oceans is very pleased to present “Plastian The Little Fish” – a children’s book educating the young generation on the issue of marine litter. The book, written by Nicole Intemann, is ideal for kids ages 5-10 and printed on eco-friendly recycled paper. The colorful pages depict the story of a brother and sister who embark on a sea adventure and become concerned by the amount of marine litter in the water. With the help of Plastian and his animal friends, they construct a trawl to collect the floating debris. The book is a useful instrument for those looking for educational material on ocean plastic and can be used in schools and communities involved in beach cleanups projects. Readers are encouraged to submit their ideas to WFO on how to best address the issue of marine litter, with an award for the best suggestions. WFO would like to warmly thank Enplast, the Linpac Group and the British Plastics Federation for enabling the publication of this book. With this English translation we take one step closer to our goal of helping Plastian reach children all around the world, and hope to introduce Dutch and Italian translations of Plastian within the near future. The book is available in both digital and paper-back versions, and is an ideal gift for the holiday season! Order the digital version for only $7.99 here and the paper-back version for €12.95 directly via WFO’s website here. For more information, get in touch with WFO’s team at contact@wastefreeoceans.org.

Sensibiliser les plus jeunes aux enjeux de la pollution des océans par le plastique

Waste Free Oceans lance livre d'enfant "Plastian Le Petit Poisson"

Parce qu’il n’est jamais trop tôt pour éveiller les consciences, la fondation Waste Free Oceans édite un livre à destination des enfants de 5 à 10 ans qui vont découvrir comment et pourquoi le petit poisson Plastian souffre de la présence du plastique dans son océan. L’histoire Plastian le petit poisson est l’histoire de deux jeunes enfants embarqués dans une traversée au long cours, qui vont découvrir le danger que représente le plastique pour la vie marine. Plastian et ses amis vont leur démontrer qu’avec un peu d’ingéniosité, il y a toujours moyens de protéger un écosystème fragile et vulnérable. Les enfants sont ensuite invités à imaginer des solutions pour nettoyer les océans et la meilleure idée recevra un prix annuel. L’idee Waste Free Oceans s’est associé à une institutrice autrichienne, Nicole Intemann, afin de sensibiliser les plus jeunes à l’impact de la pollution plastique en milieu marin et à l’importance du recyclage des déchets. L’initiative est soutenue par Alain Cadec, le Président de la Commission Pêche du Parlement européen. Au-delà de la prise de conscience, les fonds récoltés permettront à Waste Free Oceans de continuer à combattre la pollution marine. Récompnse Edité une première fois en allemand, le livre est maintenant traduit en anglais, en français et en néerlandais. Il est disponible via Kindle au prix de 2,99€ ici. Plastian le petit poisson a été récompensé en 2015 par l’Académie allemande pour la littérature pour enfants. La version anglais est disponible en version digitale et imprimée sur la site de web www.wastefreeoceasns.org, clicquez ici. A propos de Waste Free Oceans Fondée en 2011, Waste Free Oceans (WFO) est une Fondation publique-privée dont le but est de mobiliser et d’unifier les efforts des acteurs de la pêche, des autorités publiques et de l’industrie internationale du plastique pour combattre les problèmes posés par les déchets qui polluent les rivières, les mers et les océans. La mission de WFO est de protéger les écosystèmes marins et de faire une utilisation optimale des ressources pouvant être recyclées.

WFO offers to tackle floating debris in rivers

Press Release

Rivers which flow from inland areas to the seas have increasingly been identified as major transporters of marine litter. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute analysed dozens of research articles on plastic pollution in waterways, with samplings at 79 sites along 57 rivers around the world. What they found is that the top ten rivers carrying the highest amounts accounted for 88 to 95 percent of the total global load of plastics in the oceans. Halving plastic pollution in these 10 waterways - eight of which are in Asia - could potentially reduce the total contribution by all rivers by 45 percent. The Yangtze has been estimated in previous research to dump some 727 million pounds of plastic into the sea each year. The Ganges River in India is responsible for even more - about 1.2 billion pounds. The rivers with the highest estimated plastic loads are characterised by high population - ”These rivers are also in countries with a high rate of mismanaged plastic waste production per capita as a result of a not fully implemented municipal waste management including waste collection, dumping and recycling”, according to lead researcher Dr Christian Schmidt[1]. Waste Free Oceans, an organization focusing on collecting and recycling Ocean Plastic, is thus ideally placed to contribute to local solutions. Its “Debris Catcher” – a plastic filtration net successfully trialled at harbours and coasts in Europe – can either be pulled by small boats easily navigating small river ways or be statically placed in a river bed, naturally collecting waste floating on the water’s surface via river currents. Once the collection net is full, accumulated debris is retrieved from the water with a crane and taken to local waste sorting and recycling centers.After separating and cleaning the waste, it can be transformed into new raw material for product creation. Where contamination levels are too high, the “catch” can be used for energy generation. Waste Free Oceans then partners with brands wanting to use retrieved debris to contribute to a circular economy. WFO is currently preparing the installation of WFO’s debris catcher in a river channel in Mumbai. This will pilot how debris can be tackled in the ten large polluted streams within the next 2-3 years. Setting up collection nets to gather floating plastic in waste hotspots and combining it with the development of infrastructures to recycle and recover debris is the way forward. WFO is keen to set up partnerships with any organisation willing to support the vision of a cleaner world. For more information please email contact@wastefreeoceans.org. [1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4970214/95-plastic-oceans-comes-just-TEN-rivers.html

Waste Free Oceans Foundation launches online clothing store

Ocean NGO creates stylish fashion line

Waste Free Oceans proudly presents its first collection of ocean awareness clothing. Shirts, sweaters and bags designed to raise awareness of floating plastic in our oceans, while also keeping taste and style in mind, are now available in an online store at www.wastefreeoceans.org. Using all organic materials, Waste Free Oceans - a foundation that collects and upcycles floating ocean plastic - put emphasis on clothing that is fashionable and carries the message of ocean protection. To this purpose Waste Free Oceans teamed up with Teemill, who prints, packages and posts all clothing orders. Items are made from certified organic cotton or bamboo in an ethically accredited wind-powered factory and can be traced from ‘Seed to Shop’, with proceeds going towards WFO’s mission of collecting and transforming floating ocean debris. WFO Founder Bernard Merkx highlights: "What better way to do good and look good at the same time? This collection shows that not only is marine sustainability critical, but is also the interest of conscious fashionistas." While this first collection is all in-house, WFO welcomes potential collaborations with designers wanting to add their creative touch. Store visitors can also design their unique clothing items, donating to WFO by wearing a style they adore. Find the store on the WFO homepage or by clicking here. Looking great while doing good - the way to go.

A non-profit connecting industry and fishermen to use ocean trash

Removing Ocean Plastic - Waste Free Oceans

Dear Ocean lover, Waste Free Oceans is a ground breaking non-profit that mobilises fishermen, brand owners and the plastic industry to remove floating plastic from ocean environments. We engage in marine litter clean-ups worldwide and transform the collected ocean plastic into new innovative products. Attaching a unique cleaning net to fishing boats, we removed floating plastic debris in France, Spain, Austria, Denmark and Turkey and work with recyclers, converters and brands to transform ocean trash into innovative products. Together with ECOVER we created the world's first ocean plastic bottle, which has since been emulated by several other brands. Waste Free Oceans builds the bridge in connecting all relevant partners along the production process. We have strong ties with European institutions and engage in awareness-raising project such as publishing the book Plastian - the little Fish, which educates the next generation on how to prevent ocean debris. This blog post explains how our hands-on solution of removing floating ocean debris works: https://www.wastefreeoceans.org/single-post/2017/06/26/Becoming-Part-of-the-Solution We would be glad to set up an interview with WFO Founder Bernard Merkx. Best fishes & sea you later!

New partnership to clean up Hong Kong Bay

Press release: WFO Asia Partners with the WWF Hong Kong!

WFO Asia is pleased to announce a new partnership with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) in Hong Kong. This strategic partnership will focus on collaboration on two exciting upcoming projects. 1. Fishing for litter initiative WFO Asia will work with WWF Hong Kong to carry out a feasibility study of Thomsea gear to demonstrate how marine litter can be collected in the bay of Hong Kong. The collected waste will then be shipped to our industry partners to recycle and reuse in the production of new plastic products. By reclaiming, recycling and reusing these materials, we will take a step forward towards reducing the impacts of plastic waste not only on our marine ecosystems but also limiting the quantity of virgin materials needed for new products. 2. Trialing alternative lightweight Fish boxes WFO Asia will be advising WWF Hong Kong on how to increase the use of lightweight, easy to use, more environmentally friendly packaging within the fishing industry. This will involve the manufacture of alternative, lightweight fish boxes which will be trialed by fishermen in Hong Kong. If successful, this trial could lead to greater implementation of these technologies in the future and reduced environmental impacts within the fishing sector. Waste Free Oceans Asia looks forward to working with WWF Hong Kong which will hopefully be the first venture of a promising partnership, as well as welcoming a delegation from WWF Hong Kong to Brussels in April 2017. More details to follow soon on www.wastefreeoceans.org

Waste Free Oceans launches new Website

On November 24, WFO unveiled its new website at www.wastefreeoceans.org. Under the slogan “Cleaning up our oceans”, the NGO has honed its identity and captured the essence of what it stood for since its foundation in 2011. The challenge of protecting our seas is at the core of WFO’s efforts. This is reflected in the structure of the new website, which is now more user-friendly and interactive. WFO also put a great deal of thought into the site’s visual impact: Large and modern images are intended to give it the feel of a magazine that emphasizes content, is responsive and is fun for users. “The website is embedded in WFO’s wider strategy and represents an important component in our global communication plan,” states Alexandre Dangis, WFO Co-Founder. “It takes us away from a web presence centred on information and moves us toward a platform meant to engage citizens ready to drive real impact in cleaning up our oceans.” A major highlight of the new website is that visitors can directly give to WFO projects they are particularly passionate about and see the total amount of funds raised by others. Social media likewise forms a central facet of the platform. Here, the various channels offer users even more opportunities for interaction. The website can be accessed from any device. A screenshot of the new home page is available below. Visit the new Website and give us your feedback by posting a comment on our Facebook page. WFO is also pleased to announce that Member States are making use of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, most recently Spain. The EMFF co-funds “fishing for litter” clean-up operations by fishermen. WFO encourages other member states to follow Spain’s lead.

WFO tracks the latest news and developments on marine litter to bring you its monthly overview on the issue. Working on solutions? Send us your story to be in next month’s edition! Click here for the articles and images.

WFO Marine Litter Issues Overview - August 2016

WFO tracks the latest news and developments on marine litter to bring you its monthly overview on the issue. Working on solutions? Send us your...

WFO Marine Litter Issues Overview - July 2016

Last Friday 8 July, a marine litter collection and recycling live demonstration was organized by Member of European Parliament Alain Cadec, waste sorting center Kerval Centre Armor and the Waste Free Oceans foundation in Erquy, France. Over 50 participants took part in the event and represented both international and local plastics industry companies, environmental organizations, European institutions and associations. “Thanks to Waste Free Oceans, the trawl will remain in Erquy to serve on a regular basis for marine litter cleanup operations”, said Alain Cadec, Member of the European Parliament and Champion of the foundation since 2014, who has previously underlined the importance of collaborating with fishermen to collect floating marine debris. “This demonstration is a concrete local example of circular economy, in which fishermen hold the important role of collecting marine litter which will then be recycled”. The event was of particular significance to Alain Cadec who is...

Press Release: Successful Local Marine Litter Cleanup Action

Last Friday 8 July, a marine litter collection and recycling live demonstration was organized by Member of European Parliament Alain Cadec, waste...

Last Friday 8 July, a marine litter collection and recycling live demonstration was organized by Member of European Parliament Alain Cadec, waste sorting center Kerval Centre Armor and the Waste Free Oceans foundation in Erquy, France. Over 50 participants took part in the event and represented both international and local plastics industry companies, environmental organizations, European institutions and associations. “Thanks to Waste Free Oceans, the trawl will remain in Erquy to serve on a regular basis for marine litter cleanup operations”, said Alain Cadec, Member of the European Parliament and Champion of the foundation since 2014, who has previously underlined the importance of collaborating with fishermen to collect floating marine debris. “This demonstration is a concrete local example of circular economy, in which fishermen hold the important role of collecting marine litter which will then be recycled”. The event was of particular significance to Alain Cadec who is also Chairman of the Department of Côtes d’Armor’s Council Assembly. As Chairman of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament and rapporteur of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, Alain Cadec explained: "This is a concrete example of the benefits of Europe. Decisions on funding local development in coastal areas is made by the local actors themselves through the EMFF [European Maritime and Fisheries Fund]." Local fishermen from the Fisheries Committee of the Department of Côtes d’Armor demonstrated the use the WFO trawl to collect floating litter along the port of Erquy. The trawl was initially developed by ex-fisherman Thierry Thomazeau to clean oil spills and was later adapted to collect floating debris. The collected waste was then brought to the sorting center Généris, where participants were able to track the waste through the sorting mechanisms of Kerval Centre Armor during a guided tour of the facility. For the first time, this allowed those present to be a part of the next steps of this closing the loop scheme. Since 2015, the Department of Côtes d’Armor is a certified “Zero-waste territory” and Thierry Burlot, Chairman of Kerval Centre Armor, explained: “Through this certification, our territory is part of a collaborative action to stop perceiving waste as a constraint, but rather as a locally useable resource. As a maritime territory, it is essential that we collectively tackle the topic of waste in its preventive and curative aspects.” Bernard Merkx, Co-founder of WFO, stated that “WFO is very pleased that the region, with the help of Kerval Centre Armor, is putting into practice what WFO lobbies and stands for: collaborations with local fishermen on cleanup operations with the possibility of co-funding by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.” Bringing together the local community to help fight marine litter and improve recycling rates in the area will hopefully inspire other regions to also take similar action.

Waste Free Oceans Launches Children's book on Marine Litter

Waste Free Oceans lance livre d'enfant "Plastian Le Petit Poisson"

WFO offers to tackle floating debris in rivers

Waste Free Oceans Foundation launches online clothing store

Removing Ocean Plastic - Waste Free Oceans

Press release: WFO Asia Partners with the WWF Hong Kong!

Waste Free Oceans launches new Website

WFO Marine Litter Issues Overview - August 2016

WFO Marine Litter Issues Overview - July 2016

Press Release: Successful Local Marine Litter Cleanup Action

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Victor Préaux

Project Manager, Waste Free Oceans

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