About Us
OUR STORY
In 2012, during a typhoon in Hong Kong, Plastic Oceans International’s founder, Julie, witnessed a shocking event: a Sinopec (Chinese oil company) container ship lost its cargo of plastic nurdles, which coated the shoreline in trillions of white plastic pellets. With no cleanup from the responsible company, She realized that plastic, unlike oil, is deemed non-hazardous, leaving no one accountable for its impact on ecosystems, communities, or health.
This experience spurred the creation of Plastic Oceans International, with a mission to end plastic pollution through education and community engagement. Starting with the documentary A Plastic Ocean, POI recognized film’s power to drive awareness, but also the barriers of language, accessibility, and distribution that hindered global reach.
Determined to overcome these challenges, POI built its own film library and developed a film-activism model that goes beyond viewing, promoting discussions that lead to action.
OUR COMMUNITY
Our mission is to foster sustainable communities to end plastic pollution. Sustainable communities start with resilient connections that learn, adapt, and persevere together.
Traditional community engagement can sometimes feel one-sided, with nonprofits, scientists, and governments simply sharing information. However, research shows that dialogue with organizational listening – actively hearing, valuing, and responding to community input – builds stronger, more meaningful connections.
POI’s model embodies this by recording community discussions post-screening, amplifying local voices, and ensuring their insights guide sustainability efforts. This isn’t just engagement; it’s a two-way dialogue that respects each community’s unique perspective and the stakeholders that make up a community.
Through the BlueCommunities initiative, POI empowers local groups to use film screenings as a tool for stakeholder engagement, driving impactful dialogue and community-driven solutions.
Ambassadors
Plastic Oceans Team
Global Advisors
Malcolm Wood
Entrepreneur, Environmental Filmmaker and United Nations Ambassador. Co-Founder of hospitality group Maximal Concepts.
Craig Leeson
Founder of Leeson Media International and Ocean Vista Films. Chairman of 1 Shot Hong Kong Film Festival. Asia correspondent for Seven Network and an international Correspondent for Al Jazeera Media Network.
William Pfeiffer
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, Globalgate. Global Advisor to WTA, and Senior Advisor to Lionsgate Entertainment.
Schuyler (Sky) M. Moore
A partner in the corporate entertainment department of Greenberg Glusker LLP, practicing entertainment, corporate, and tax law.
Roman Carel
Founder and CEO of Athena Advisors.
Keyur Patel
Chairman and Managing Director, Fuse Capital.