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Hi there,

When I joined Lonely Whale in 2016, plastic recycling rates in the United States were at an all-time high of ~ 9%.

Yesterday, we learned in separate but confirming reports from the US Department of Energy and The Last Beach Cleanup + Beyond Plastics that the US plastic recycling rate dropped to 5% in 2019 and held steady through 2021. All while the world's plastic waste generation has steadily increased.

At Lonely Whale, we are staying focused on solutions that keep plastic waste out of the landfills and out of the ocean, including creating biologically degradable alternatives to problematic plastics [[link removed]], rethinking recycling systems [[link removed]], and ensuring youth are leading the conversation [[link removed]] about their future.

Check out our updates below and find out why our Plastic Innovation Prize Finalists “took a dip”, how our NextWave members are reinventing supply chains, and why Fast Company designated OH-Wake a World Changing Idea!

Inspired by what we do? Consider forwarding this newsletter to your network and joining the pod by supporting our work [[link removed]].

Warmly,

Dune Ives

Lonely Whale

Youth Voices = World Changing Idea!

OH-Wake Media [[link removed]] is a network that spans across all channels, time zones, and geographies with one priority in mind: to make the voices of young leaders heard. Learn why Fast Company designated OH-Wake as a World Changing Idea by reading Issue #3: The Wisdom in Water.

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Currents of Change Explores How to Reinvent Supply Chains for Ocean-Bound Plastic

NextWave Plastics [[link removed]] is a consortium of companies that excel at creating global supply chains – including ocean-bound plastic supply chains. In Issue #3, Reinventing the Supply Chain, member companies Dell Technologies, HP, Trek Bicycle, and Veritiv share important strategies and insights on keeping ocean-bound plastic out of the water and in the economy. Subscribe here to get a new case study to your inbox each week until World Oceans Day on June 8.

READ THE CASE STUDY [[link removed]]

Plastic Innovation Prize Finalists Take a Dip!

It’s official! The testing phase for the eight materials from the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize [[link removed]] Finalists has begun! Over the next nine months, these materials will be put to the test to see how they perform in Caribbean waters, in the laboratory, and in the colder waters of the Pacific Northwest. Are you local to Seattle? Let us know [[link removed]] and we will keep you posted on opportunities to join us at the Seattle Aquarium to learn more about how they are putting these materials to the test!

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