The 5 Gyres Institute

5 GYRES MISSION IS TO EMPOWER ACTION AGAINST THE GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION THROUGH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND ADVENTURE.

SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONGROWING OUR SCIENCE TEAMTHIS YEAR, WE WELCOMED LISA ERDLE AS OUR MANAGER OF SCIENCE & INNOVATION TO WORK ALONGSIDE DR. MARCUS ERIKSEN. LISA IS A PHD CANDIDATE IN THE ROCHMAN LAB AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO AND BRINGS 7+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE INVESTIGATING SOURCES, FATES, AND EFFECTS OF MICROFIBERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT.STATE OF THE SCIENCE WEBINARSWE HOSTED TWO "STATE OF THE SCIENCE" PANEL DISCUSSIONS FOCUSING ON OUR NEW SCIENTIFIC FOCUS. WE ARE EXCITED TO CONTINUE INVESTIGATING PLASTIC IN MORE ENVIRONMENTS, CAPACITIES, AND SOURCES. CHECK OUT OUR SCIENCE TEAM'S DISCUSSION WITH COLLEAGUE DR. SCOTT COFFIN HERE AND THE SECOND PANEL WITH PHD CANDIDATE TIMNIT KEFALA AND DR. EZRA MILLER, ON THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF PLASTIC SCIENCE HERE.STUDIES IN PROGRESSWE CREATED A STUDY TO DETERMINE IF REPAVING ROADS WITH MICROPLASTICS IN THE BITUMEN IS SAFE TO THE ENVIRONMENT (OR NOT). THE STUDY WAS EXECUTED AT THREE SITES IN LOS ANGELES WITH THE DATA ANALYSIS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS.WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STUDY TO DETERMINE IF THE MATERIAL PHA IS TRULY BIODEGRADABLE IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS. SO FAR, WE BURIED 20+ PHA ITEMS IN MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL LOCATIONS IN CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, AND MAINE. THE BREAKDOWN PROCESS OF THESE ITEMS WILL BE VISUALLY STUDIED THROUGHOUT THE 18-MONTH DURATION, AND RESULTS WILL BE RELEASED IN 2022.REUSABLE LAREUSABLE LA WORKED WITH THE LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL TO HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 14 DIFFERENT MOTIONS AIMED AT REDUCING PLASTIC POLLUTION. THESE LAWS WILL INCLUDE PHASING OUT SINGLE-USE PLASTIC AT CITY FACILITIES AND EVENTS, AN EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE BAN, AND CLOSING LOOPHOLES IN THE BAG BAN. NOW, WE HAVE A ROADMAP TO HOW THE CITY WILL MOVE FORWARD TO REDUCE PLASTIC POLLUTION AND PROMOTE MORE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. REUSABLE LA ALSO WORKED WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY TO PASS A COMPREHENSIVE ORDINANCE THAT ELIMINATES SINGLE-USE PLASTICS AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS BY BANNING SINGLE-USE FOOD SERVICE WARE (EXAMPLES: UTENSILS, PLATES, CUPS, ETC.) THAT IS NOT COMPOSTABLE OR RECYCLABLE, BANNING EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE (EXAMPLE: STYROFOAM) PRODUCTS AND REQUIRING REUSABLES FOR FULL SERVICE, DINE-IN EATERIES.LEAP LABIN 2021, LEAP LAB WAS WORKING TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE (IRSC) IN FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA. AS A RESULT OF THIS GROWING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, IRSC PROFESSOR ROB LOWERY ATTENDED LAST YEAR'S DINOSAUR FOSSIL DIG IN WYOMING AND BROUGHT BACK TO IRSC THE FIRST CRETACEOUS FOSSIL IN THE HISTORY OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON DEVELOPING A PALEO EXHIBIT IN THE SCIENCE BUILDING ON THE MAIN CAMPUS. WE HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HAVE PLANS TO OPERATE A SERIES OF VEGETABLE GARDENS AT VARIOUS SCHOOL CAMPUSES TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD, INTEGRATE SCIENCE CURRICULUM AND CONTRIBUTE FRESH PRODUCE TO THE SCHOOL CAFETERIAS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY. WE ARE PURSUING FUNDING TO DEVELOP THESE PROJECTS.

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM & CORPORATE PARTNERSAMBASSADOR ACTION FUNDOUR FIRST YEAR OF THE ACTION FUND PROGRAM FOLLOWED A SIX-MONTH CYCLE WITH ELEVEN AMBASSADORS WHO EACH RECEIVED SMALL GRANTS OF UP TO $1,000. THE AIM IS TO ELEVATE THEIR ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND MENTORSHIP. FROM GHANA TO BRAZIL, OUR AWARDEES CONTINUE TO IMPRESS US AS THEY MAKE AN IMPACT IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.CORPORATE PARTNER HIGHLIGHTSTOGETHER WITH OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS, WE WORK ON SHARING KNOWLEDGE FOR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, PRODUCT DESIGN AND INNOVATION, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT NO COMPANY IS PERFECTLY PLASTIC-FREE. PRANA HAS LED THE WAY TO RETHINK PACKAGING WITH THEIR RESPONSIBLE PACKAGING MOVEMENT. THIS MOVEMENT HAS CONVENED OVER 100 BRANDS TO JOIN THEM TO #RESHAPEPACKAGING BY ELIMINATING EXCESS PLASTIC AND VIRGIN FOREST FIBERS FROM THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN.

EDUCATION AND POLICYEDUCATIONWE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME REFLECTING ON SCIENCE INFORMED SOLUTIONS AND HOW OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS HELP US ACHIEVE OUR SCIENTIFIC GOALS. OUR EDUCATION, COMMUNITY SCIENCE, AND AMBASSADOR ACTION FUND PROGRAMS AMPLIFY AND DISSEMINATE OUR FINDINGS IN ORDER TO EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION AND INSPIRE INDUSTRY FOR CHANGE. OUR PRIMARY EDUCATION EFFORTS ARE THROUGH OUR DIGITAL TRASH ACADEMY VIDEOS. AVAILABLE TO OUR ONLINE GLOBAL COMMUNITY VIA YOUTUBE, THESE VIDEOS AIM TO EDUCATE ON THE PLASTIC MOVEMENT AND PROVIDE PROJECTS FOR ADDITIONAL AT-HOME ENGAGEMENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.POLICY AND ADVOCACYPOLICY IS AN EVER-CHANGING AND SLOW-MOVING PROCESS, BUT WE ARE THRILLED TO BE ON THE FRONT LINES OF USING SCIENCE TO INFORM REAL CHANGE BY PARTICIPATING IN COALITION BUILDING NETWORKS AND ADVOCATING FOR UPSTREAM SOLUTIONS IN OUR LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES. THIS YEAR'S WORK LED TO IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS MADE AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS.

TRASHBLITZAFTER VALIDATING THE NEED FOR THIS NEW PROGRAM WITH TRASHBLITZ LOS ANGELES IN 2019 AND TRASHBLITZ DENVER IN 2020, WE BROUGHT TRASHBLITZ AUSTIN TO LIFE WITH OUR PROJECT PARTNERS AND 18 PARTICIPATING PARTNERS ON THE GROUND. OVER 3 WEEKS, 168 VOLUNTEERS GATHERED 6,656 PIECES OF TRASH AND FOUND "FOOD AND DRINK" TO BE THE LARGEST IDENTIFIED CATEGORY WHERE 70% OF ALL TRASH WAS PLASTIC. THE TOP 3 BRANDS OF THIS PLASTIC WASTE WERE COCA-COLA, MARLBORO, AND MCDONALDS.