Plastic solutions around the world

We know the problem. Here is what’s working.

46 places on the map

Click or tap any pin to see the project and where to learn more. Gold wheels are Rotary projects; dashed rings mark the five ocean gyres.

From river cleanups in Asia to a recycling ship for the Mediterranean, this is a living database of the organizations, technologies, laws and research cutting plastic pollution, with new solutions added every day.

The SeeElefant recycling ship, shown with its hull open to reveal the sorting and recycling systems on board

Image: One Earth One Ocean

Best Project in Germany, 100 Projects in 100 Countries

One Earth One Ocean

Its own fleet of collection boats and fairly paid local teams clear plastic from rivers, harbours and coasts. Next comes the SeeElefant, a converted freighter that will sort and recycle up to 60,000 tonnes of plastic a year at sea, starting with a tour of Mediterranean ports planned from 2027.

Günther Bonin, founder | Dr. Harald Frank, SeeElefant project lead | Jana Koebel, project manager and Rotary Club of Newport Beach advisor for plastic projects

Explore the SeeElefant About One Earth One Ocean

RiverRecycle floating boom catching plastic waste on the San Juan River in Manila, a tributary of the Pasig River

San Juan River, Manila, Philippines | Photo: RiverRecycle

Top 10 in the World, 100 Projects in 100 Countries

RiverRecycle

Cleans some of the world’s most polluted rivers and pays for it by turning the plastic into building boards, creating safe local jobs. In Manila its booms on the San Juan River, the main source of waste in the Pasig River, catch up to 120 tonnes of waste a month. Next comes the Tijuana River, with two Rotary global grant proposals from the Rotary Club of Newport Beach.

Anssi Mikola, founder and CEO | Marko Kärkkäinen, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility

About RiverRecycle Support the Tijuana River grant

Together at EarthX 2025

Partners turning plastic into solutions

Left to right: Marko Kärkkäinen (RiverRecycle), Dr. Harald Frank (One Earth One Ocean), Jana Koebel (One Earth One Ocean and Seas & Straws) and Steve Bender, President of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach, at EarthX 2025.

RiverRecycle and One Earth One Ocean presented their work at the Environmental Xperience at EarthX in Dallas, and are now working with the Rotary Club of Newport Beach on river cleanups from the Tijuana River to the Motagua River in Guatemala.

See the Rotary projects About EarthX

Featured partner

LoopwayNothing in this loop goes to waste.

Loopway is a circular economy directory that connects people to the organizations, programs and local projects keeping reusable materials out of landfills, across all 50 US states and a growing number of countries.

50 US states covered
28+ recycling and reuse categories
60+ organizations and agencies
12 project spotlights a year

Find resources in your state Browse by material Visit Loopway.org

Also on Loopway: the monthly Project of the Month, the Loopway Earth Day Award at the Environmental Xperience, and its view on AB 2253.

More partners

People and organizations turning plastic solutions into action, several of them presented at the Environmental Xperience at EarthX.

Eco warrior: Jana Koebel

Seas & Straws

Jana Koebel, founder; Advisor, Plastic Projects, Rotary Club of Newport Beach

Founded by eco warrior Jana Koebel: a plastic-free living and travel hub, plastic-free consulting for hotels, and on-the-ground recycling projects with One Earth One Ocean in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

Read about Seas & Straws Visit their website

Rotary initiative

EndPlasticSoup (Rotary)

Gert-Jan van Dommelen (co-founder)

Rotary movement started by Amsterdam clubs in 2018 that mobilizes Rotary, Rotaract and Interact clubs worldwide to end plastic soup by 2050.

Read about EndPlasticSoup (Rotary) Visit their website

Research partner

5 Gyres Institute

Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins (co-founders)

Science-led nonprofit that measured plastic in all five subtropical ocean gyres and uses that research to drive policy and corporate change.

Read about 5 Gyres Institute Visit their website

Eco warrior

Jana Koebel

Advisor, Plastic Projects, Rotary Club of Newport Beach | Project Manager, One Earth One Ocean | Founder, Seas & Straws

Jana helps people, hotels and whole communities go plastic-free. With One Earth One Ocean and the Bocas Recycle Center she is building a recycling structure for ocean plastic in Bocas del Toro, Panama, and she was recognized for leadership of the Rotary Global Plastic-Free Environment Model.

Meet Jana Visit Seas & Straws

Jana Koebel and the One Earth One Ocean team with families on Isla Popa, Bocas del Toro, Panama — With the One Earth One Ocean team on Isla Popa, Bocas del Toro

In the news | The Bocas Breeze, May 2026 Jana leads a mangrove cleanup on Solarte Island that removes 8 to 10 tons of trash

Project spotlight

The SeeElefant

A recycling ship for ocean plastic | One Earth One Ocean

A converted freighter that will sort and recycle up to 60,000 tonnes of plastic a year on board, anchoring where recycling plants do not exist. The first ship is planned for 2027, starting with a three-year tour of Mediterranean ports. Dr. Harald Frank and Jana Koebel presented it at EarthX.

Explore the SeeElefant

Panama update

A major cleanup for a cleaner Bay of Panama

Panama City has launched its largest cleanup yet: a 425-day plan to clear waste from the rivers, mangroves and coastline that feed into the Bay of Panama.

US$4.8 million invested by the Alcaldía de Panamá, with the environment and health ministries
425 days of continuous work by the Consorcio Río Verde
534 tons removed by 12 September 2026, about 470 tons a week
Rivers, mangroves and shoreline: the Matías Hernández and Río Abajo rivers and the coast from the Amador Causeway to Costa del Este
Drones and equipment to find and remove waste that has built up for years

It is a big step for a country where, by one UN estimate, more than 100,000 tons of land-based waste reach the sea each year, and it builds on Panama’s 2018 ban on plastic bags, the first in Central America.

See all Panama projects Read the Alcaldía announcement (Spanish) Latest progress on TVN

Today’s plastic solutions

News about what is working, gathered every morning.

Water-soluble Packaging Partnership Spans the AtlanticPlasticsToday, 23 Sep
Why fruit punnets are not recycled in South AfricaFreshPlaza, 23 Sep
Plastic recycling is no silver bullet for waste crisisImphal Times, 23 Sep
Xampla CEO warns that recycling alone won’t solve plastic pollutionPackaging Scotland, 23 Sep
Temperature-Sensitive Packaging Market (2026 - 2033)Grand View Research, 23 Sep
CIRCULANDIA tests and develops new resilient models for food production, distribution, packaging, and nutrient cyclingHelsinki.fi, 23 Sep
Vacuum Skin Paperboard Packaging Market to Reach USD 11.4openPR.com, 23 Sep
Scientists turn carbon dioxide into fully recyclable high-performance plasticsThe Brighter Side of News, 22 Sep

All of today’s headlines

Policy watch

Laws that change the rules for everyone.

Under negotiation Global Plastics Treaty (UN negotiations) Negotiations resuming; next formal session expected March 2027
In implementation EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) Applies since 12 August 2026, with later phase-ins
In implementation California SB 54 (Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act) In implementation; full targets by 2032
Pending California AB 2253 (recycled content claims) On the Governor’s desk; decision due by 30 September 2026
Enacted Basel Convention plastic waste amendments In force since January 2021

Featured viewpoint

Bill Shireman on California’s AB 2253

The author of California’s bottle recycling law on why the recycled content bill could set recycling back.

Open the law tracker

Eight ways plastic pollution is being solved

Every entry in the database is filed under one or more of these approaches.

Collection and recycling 31 entries
Getting plastic back, sorting it well and turning it into new products.
Education and community 26 entries
Cleanups, schools, clubs and events that build lasting habits and support.
Policy and advocacy 58 entries
Laws, treaties and campaigns that change the rules for everyone.
Redesign and new materials 13 entries
Packaging designed to be recycled, and materials such as fibre and seaweed that replace plastic.
Reduce 12 entries
Using less plastic in the first place: bans on needless items, lighter packaging and plastic-free choices.
Research and science 27 entries
The evidence that shows which solutions work and where to focus.
Reuse and refill 10 entries
Returnable, refillable and shared systems that replace single-use packaging.
River and ocean interception 14 entries
Catching plastic in rivers, harbours and coasts before it spreads further.

New technology to watch

From recycling plants to food packaging, with an honest read on how ready each one is.

Enzymatic recycling of PET and polyester

Pilot to first commercial plants

Engineered enzymes break PET bottles, trays and polyester textiles back into their building blocks, which can be made into new plastic of virgin quality.

Collection and recycling Research and science
Reuse and refill systems

Commercial, scaling

Returnable cups, food containers and refill stations replace single-use packaging entirely, with washing and logistics shared across businesses.

Reduce Reuse and refill
Seaweed-based packaging

Early commercial

Films, coatings and pods made from seaweed replace plastic in sauce sachets, takeaway box linings and flexible wraps, and break down naturally.

Redesign and new materials
Digital watermarks for packaging

Industrial trials

Invisible codes printed across a package tell sorting cameras what the item is made of and whether it held food, so it can be sorted precisely.

Collection and recycling Redesign and new materials

Read our technology guide

Rotary clubs are funding plastic solutions

From EndPlasticSoup’s worldwide action days to a proposed river cleanup and recycling plant on the Tijuana River, Rotary clubs are turning concern into projects. Find open grants, proven models and partners.

See Rotary projects

Global Grant G-3947: Tijuana River Cleaning with RiverRecycleRotary Club of Newport Beach, looking for partner clubs
Global Grant G-3772: Motagua River cleaning, GuatemalaRotary Club of Newport Beach with RiverRecycle, looking for partner clubs
EndPlasticSoup Ambassador ClubsRotary’s movement to end plastic soup by 2050
ESRAG Plastic Solutions TaskforceAdvice and speakers for club projects