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The Plastic Projects

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5 Gyres Institute

The 5 Gyres Institute went looking for plastic in all five subtropical ocean gyres, found it everywhere, and used that evidence to change laws and company practice.

Founded
2009
Co-founders
Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins
Based in
Santa Monica, California
Recognition
Special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2017
Website
5gyres.org

The founders

Dr. Marcus Eriksen

Co-founder; marine scientist

A US Marine veteran of the 1991 Gulf War with a PhD from the University of Southern California. He rafted the Mississippi on plastic bottles, sailed the Junk Raft from California to Hawaii, led research expeditions worldwide and later served as 5 Gyres’ Director of Science and Innovation. Author of My River Home and Junk Raft.

Anna Cummins

Co-founder; policy and advocacy

A Santa Monica native who came to plastic pollution through environmental policy studies. She served as 5 Gyres’ executive director, focusing on policy and public engagement.

The two met in 2007, sailed to the North Pacific Gyre together in 2008 and later married. That same year Marcus spent 88 days crossing from California to Hawaii on Junk Raft, built from 15,000 plastic bottles, a voyage that helped launch 5 Gyres.

Science that changed the law

  • 19 research expeditions covering about 50,000 nautical miles across every ocean gyre.
  • The first global estimate of floating ocean plastic (2014): more than 5 trillion pieces.
  • Microbeads in the Great Lakes: their sampling helped lead to the US Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015.
  • The “plastic smog” study (2023): a 40-year record showing more than 170 trillion particles afloat and a sharp rise since 2005, used to argue for a binding global treaty.
  • Smog of the Sea (2017), a documentary about a 5 Gyres expedition produced by musician Jack Johnson, who sailed on it.

How to engage

5 Gyres runs an ambassador network, citizen science and education programmes, and provides scientific advice to companies and organizations. Visit 5gyres.org for current programmes and staff.