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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

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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Craig Leeson
Chief Evangelist & Director of A Plastic Ocean
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Denise Lira-Ratinoff
Interdisciplinary Artist
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Sarah Ferguson
Founder, Breathe Conservation
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Plastic Oceans Team

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
Ana Hanhausen
Community Engagement, International
Pau Hanono
Communications Manager, International
Cat Hellmann
Film Impact Manager

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.

Plastic Oceans International logo

Plastic Oceans International is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, founded and existing under the laws of California (Federal Tax ID #81-3778043). We are dedicated to ending plastic pollution and fostering sustainable communities worldwide.

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