UN World Oceans Day 2019: Interview with Eric DesRoberts

In a nutshell, what is the Ocean Conservancy working to achieve?

For over 45 years, Ocean Conservancy (OC)has been working to address some of the greatest threats facing our oceans. We create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. Ocean Conservancy program areas focus on Ocean Acidification, Climate Change, Protecting the Arctic, Gulf Restoration, Smart Ocean Planning, Sustainable Fisheries, and Trash Free Seas.

Amcor is part of Trash Free Seas Alliance – what is the aim of the Alliance?

For over 30 years, Ocean Conservancy has helped mobilize millions of people around the world though the International Coastal Cleanup to remove trash and plastic from our ocean and waterways and collect data on the items that they are collecting. But removal is just one part of the solution. We must also prevent trash from reaching our waterways and the ocean, which is why in 2012 Ocean Conservancy launched the Trash Free Seas Alliance® (TFSA). The Alliance unites industry, science and conservation leaders who share a common goal for a healthy ocean free of trash. The Alliance provides a constructive forum focused on identifying opportunities for cross-sector solutions that drive action and foster innovation to stop the flow of plastic into the ocean.

The Alliance has built off the findings from Jambeck et al. (2015) which looked at plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean in 192 countries. From there the Alliance launched its Signature Initiative focused on regions where the highest contributing countries were identified, and released two reports Stemming the Tide and The Next Wave to better understand drivers and opportunities to prevent trash and plastic from entering the ocean.

How does OC and the TFSA benefit from Amcor's expertise and global reach?

Amcor has been a member of the Alliance since 2015. The Alliance has had thoughtful engagement and feedback on topics around materials, potential solutions, industry trends, and geographical perspectives. David Clark (Amcor’s Vice President, Sustainability) and his team have engaged in this issue and have a depth of knowledge that has helped to elevate this work. The reach and perspective of Amcor has been valuable to this process and the reliable engagement has been critical in an environment that is expanding rapidly.

David Clark (Vice President, Sustainability, Amcor), Nicholas Mallos (Trash Free Seas Director) and Eric Des Roberts

In what way does Amcor benefit from involvement with OC?

Within the Trash Free Seas Alliance, we push members to engage in this issue at a global level as well as within their own organizations. Amcor is a member of the Trash Free Seas Alliance Steering Committee, and beyond participation in looking at the broader systemic problem, they have been pushing the envelope internally to support more circular systems and keep materials out of the environment.

Beyond the Trash Free Seas Alliance, Amcor is an Ocean Conservancy “Rivers and Streams” partner for the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). The ICC happens every year on the third Saturday in September, with a global network of coordinators and volunteers coming together to help pick up debris on beaches and collect data on the items that they are finding. In 2018, Amcor set a company record of over 1,800 colleagues, families and friends participating in 62 locations around the world!

More than 1,800 Amcor people took part in the 2018 International Coastal Cleanup.

Tell us more about the future work of OC’s Signature Initiative

There are three primary goals:
• More deeply engage cities – The Urban Ocean initiative launched at the 2019 World Ocean Summit with the intent of engaging local leaders in efforts to enable partnerships and access to resources to address trash and plastic entering the ocean
• Promote, incubate and invest in waste management solutions – largely through continued support and growth of the impact investment fund Circulate Capital, created to fund waste management projects in Southeast Asia
• Develop a policy playbook for the public and private sectors – Launched in February of 2019 to analyse current and possible policy and finance solutions for waste collection and management.

Collectively, the members of the TFSA are working to better understand the challenges and opportunities in each of these areas, and will continue to work with communities in priority regions to better understand the local context and needs.

What can people in our industry and personally do to help OC achieve its goals?

There is no shortage of actions that can be taken to keep trash and plastic out of our ocean, both as individuals and as institutions. When I get asked about this, I usually respond by asking people to think about things that they have direct control over and start there. It can be big or small, but the important thing is to do something. Once you have exhausted the list of things that you have direct control of, think about things that you can influence and continue to explore those options.

One person or even one organization is not going to solve this problem alone, but that cannot be an excuse to do nothing. We also encourage people to participate in an International Coastal Cleanup event on September 21! As the date gets closer, you can find opportunities to participate in clean-ups near you on Ocean Conservancy’s website.

Amcor collaborates with industry partners, governments, and non-governmental organisations to improve collection, recycling, and recovery of plastic packaging and develop product innovations and approaches that advance a circular economy and better protect the environment.

We encourage you to find out more about UN World Ocean Day 2019 and the work of Ocean Conservancy, and to sign up to participate in this year’s International Coastal Cleanup.