About Us
Plastic Oceans International is a US-based nonprofit organization dedicated to ending plastic pollution and fostering sustainable communities worldwide.
At the heart of our work lies a simple belief: storytelling can spark systemic change.
We harness the power of film to educate, engage, and inspire action. Combining visual storytelling with community-led dialogue, our model scales circular solutions that shift mindsets, change consumer behavior, corporate practices, and influence public policy at every level. Guided by the principle that global change begins with local action, our work is grounded in four core pillars: Education, Activism, Advocacy, and Science.
Our Story
During a typhoon in Hong Kong in 2012, our Founder and CEO, Julie Andersen, personally witnessed the tragic spill of trillions of white plastic pellets from the Chinese oil company, Sinopec. As the pellets accumulated and coated the shoreline, Julie waited for authorities or the corporation to take action, but unlike oil, plastic was deemed non-hazardous, leaving no one accountable for its impact on ecosystems, communities, or public health. At the end, it was the local communities and community-led initiatives that led the clean-up efforts.
This resulted in 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 quickly activated the power of film and community dialogue not only
Today, our work goes beyond clean-ups and focuses on supporting our local network of BlueCommunities to conduct multi-stakeholder dialogues, sparked by film, that reveal opportunities to scale circular solutions, inform policy, and create long-lasting change.
Ending plastic pollution has never been just about the material itself, but instead about rethinking our local and global systems of production and consumption.
Our Approach
Our Participatory Film-Activism Model is a scalable, context-, and evidence-based approach to engage stakeholders in meaningful dialogue and support the progress of circular economy solutions in local communities.
We integrate film, storytelling, and dialogue analysis to support community-driven solutions and informed policy development.
As a practical framework ready for replication, the model offers substantial value to organizations seeking to advance local systemic solutions through participatory engagement.
Our Programs
Our film and community programs create dialogues that lead to change.
Our film library and film distribution service.
Global network of grassroot organizations committed to continuously engaging stakeholders.
Global film festival sparking local initiatives and stakeholder engagement.
Our Team
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Julie Andersen
CEO & Co-Founder
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Mark Minneboo
Director of Advocacy
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Emilio Beladiez
Director of Plastic Oceans Europe
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Ana Hanhausen
Director of Community Engagement
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Adlai Salcedo
Director of Marketing and Communications
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Pau Hanono
Marketing and Communications Manager
Ambassadors
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Matthew Modine
Actor & Environmentalist
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Merijn Tinga
Plastic Soup Surfer, Biologist, Artist
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Carlos Vives
Singer & Actor
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Louie Schwartzberg
Filmmaker
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Denise Lira-Ratinoff
Interdisciplinary Artist
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Sarah Ferguson
Founder, Breathe Conservation
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Craig Leeson
Chief Evangelist & Director of A Plastic Ocean
Global Advisors
Malcom Wood
Entrepreneur, Environmental Filmmaker and United Nations Ambassador. Co-Founder of hospitality group Maximal Concepts.
Roman Carel
Founder and CEO of Athena Advisors.
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.
Keyur Patel
Chairman and Managing Director, Fuse Capital.
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.