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Group looks to divert major volumes of ocean-bound plastics

Posted on resource-recycling.com on January 4, 2018 by Colin Staub

Large brand owners and manufacturers have formed an effort aimed at diverting millions of pounds of plastic material that could potentially end up as marine debris.

NextWave is a collaborative effort to collect and incorporate marine plastics as recycled content in new products, and to reduce plastic usage overall. Its founding partners include Dell, General Motors, Trek Bicycle and others. The effort was launched last month and is led by The Lonely Whale, an environmentally focused nonprofit organization.

The NextWave effort focuses on what it defines as “mismanaged waste.” This is material that would likely eventually make its way to the ocean, but isn’t there yet. Plastic litter within about 30 miles of a waterway or coastal area generally falls into this category.

Group looks to divert major volumes of ocean-bound plastics