5 Gyres
Description
5 Gyres is a nonprofit institute that uses science, advocacy and community action to fight plastic pollution in the oceans.
It was founded by Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins to investigate how much plastic floats in the oceans, where it accumulates and whether it harms people and the planet. The organization has run research expeditions covering tens of thousands of nautical miles, publishing studies on plastic pollution and building a global network of ambassadors. It was the first group to research plastic in all five main subtropical ocean gyres and to estimate the total amount of plastic on the ocean surface.
5 Gyres also runs advocacy campaigns, including work that helped convince major companies to phase out plastic microbeads and supported the US Microbead-Free Waters Act. It provides scientific expertise to companies and organizations working toward reducing plastic pollution. Since 2017 it has held special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Latest news
Weaving Solutions to Microfiber Pollution
Collaboration between the textile industry and the scientific community is necessary to address microfiber pollution in a holistic way. The WOVEN symposium brought together industry leaders, brands, scientists, innovators, and nonprofit organizations to workshop solutions and lay the groun
18 Jul 2024
Setting Sail for Microfiber Solutions: What’s Next?
For the first time in nearly five years, the 5 Gyres team set sail for new research! We gathered leaders from the textiles sector, boarded a tall ship, raised our sails, and embarked on an expedition in San Francisco Bay to chart solutions for microfiber pollution.
17 Oct 2023
Setting Sail for Microfiber Solutions in the San Francisco Bay
To shine a light on the seemingly invisible issue of microfibers and workshop a range of possible solutions, 5 Gyres is partnering with Materevolve to lead a mini expedition in the San Francisco Bay this fall. The goal is to bring cross-sector leaders together, representing companies, brands, manufa
13 Sep 2023
U.S. Congress Introduces Bill to Protect National Parks from Plastic Pollution
Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act to reduce and eliminate the sales and distribution of single-use plastics in national parks. This bill will address some of the most common items found during 5 Gyres’ Plastic-Free Parks project, including plastic b
6 Sep 2023
What’s Missing from the Global Plastics Treaty? Sectors.
With more than 171 trillion plastic particles afloat in the world’s ocean, we are excited to see world leaders taking action to address the issue at the source and releasing an initial plastics treaty draft. However, we know that plastic pollution is complex and it's not a singular issue. The zero d
5 Sep 2023
Stealing Xanadu and the Evolution of Plastic in Music
Innovation over the last century steadily brought plastic to the music industry, from the introduction of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) records in 1948 to polycarbonate (PC) compact discs in the 1980s. In recent years, our shift to digital music has led to a decline in plastic waste but an increase in el
29 Aug 2022
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