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[ [link removed] ]Whale shark about to swallow a plastic bag floating in the ocean

 

John,

How amazing is this -- scientists have discovered mushrooms that can
devour plastic waste in a matter of weeks...plastic that would otherwise
remain in the ocean forever.

Right now 91% of the plastics we use can’t be recycled, and every minute
another truckloads-worth is dumped into the ocean, suffocating sea life
and spreading pollutants across shores.

But scientists say these magnificent mushrooms could eat up to half of the
plastic waste being dumped in the ocean. They're asking for our help to
continue their groundbreaking research, and together we could give them
the funds they need right away to expand their research in the US and New
Zealand.

NASA scientist Dr Cullings recently retired to join the innovative
nonprofit Ocean Blue Project in their work to isolate and reproduce
organic plastic-eaters for industrial use. The team is ready to go, and if
7000 of us donate they'll have enough to buy the lab and field equipment
they need to continue their research -- and help rid the planet of plastic
waste. Are you in?



[ [link removed] ]Donate
$3
now[ [link removed] ]Donate another amount



Fungi, like mushrooms and yeast, are nature’s cleanup crew. The enzymes
they produce can break down pollutants and clean up everything from oil
spills to toxic pesticides.

Nearly all the plastic ever created still exists in some form today. So
scientists are researching how to use these crafty microbes to try and
break down all types of plastics and also ways to make them possible to
recycle and reuse -- and so far it’s working. 

John, we could actually start to make a dent in the world's
plastic waste!

But we need more research to do this on a bigger scale, and we need to
move fast. Plastic production is increasing rapidly. By 2050, studies
report there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish, but we can
change that. 

Ocean Blue Project and Dr Ken Cullings have been at the forefront of using
fungi to clean up environmental disasters. They have big ambitions in the
war on plastic waste, but lab equipment, field materials, and research
time are expensive -- and they rely on donations to do this work.

It’s not often we can contribute to work that could make a dent in the
world’s plastic pollution. This pioneering research could be one of the
bold solutions we’ve all been waiting for. Can you be one of the 7000
donors we need to support this crucial research to eliminate plastic
waste?



[ [link removed] ]Donate
$3
now[ [link removed] ]Donate another amount



Industrial-scale use of plastic-eaters is already being trialled in France
and Australia. 

With your help we could advance this research, but we know there is so
much more to do if we want to solve the plastics crisis. That’s why any
extra raised will go to support our campaigning, including campaigns to
reduce plastic production, which is the #1 way to curb plastic pollution,
and pressure governments to pass laws that support lasting solutions to
address plastic pollution.



  Thanks for all that you do,  
Yasmin and the team at Ekō



---------------------------------

More information:

[ [link removed] ]Fungi Eating Plastic Research Nonprofits. Ocean Blue Project.

[ [link removed] ]Plastic-eating backyard fungi discovery boosts hopes for a solution to
the recycling crisis. ABC. 14 April 2023.

[ [link removed] ]Oyster mushrooms expected to break down toxins and microplastics in
cigarette butts in Australian trial. The Guardian. 15 March 2023.

[ [link removed] ]The Untapped Potential of the Amazon’s Plastic-Eating Mushroom.
Earth.org. 07 September 2022.

[ [link removed] ]The fungus and bacteria tackling plastic waste. BBC. 30 July 2021.

[ [link removed] ]Plastic-eating enzymes trialled in Australian first to create
infinitely recyclable plastic. News.com.au. 21 September 2021.

[ [link removed] ]New super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster. The Guardian.
28 September 2020.

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]