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Dear Friends,
I’ll never forget the day I discovered my passion for all things environment while reading an article about mold and rot as a teenager. The article described cycles of soil - from plant growth, to death and decay, to the microscopic world of decomposers and fungi, to renewal and rebirth. I was hooked, built a compost pile that day, and became an evangelist for the unsung virtues of organic waste.
But I’m now coming to learn through my work with 5 Gyres that this ancient cycle of plant growth - from soil to seed to harvest - is also threatened by plastic pollution.
What happens to the endless fields of plastic covering our crops as sunlight fragments them into microplastics? How might these particles (or the chemicals they carry) affect the microorganisms that build our soil, or even the very plants themselves? And more importantly, are there any solutions?
As we continue studying plastic pollution, we’ve decided to target specific areas of concern in order to identify the biggest problem causing sectors. This is where we are shifting our focus, and hope that you will join us.
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All of our work has only been possible through deep partnership - with our community, our partners, and every single one of you reading this letter. We hope we can continue to count on you to support groundbreaking research, and join us in ensuring that our decision makers utilize this science to stop plastic pollution at its source(s).
Thank you for your commitment to 5 Gyres, our mission, and most of all, SCIENCE.
With gratitude,
 
Anna Cummins
Co-Founder & Executive Director
P.S. If you missed our State of the Science webinar on 10/19, focusing on plastic in soils, you can view it HERE on our youtube channel.
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