Dell and Lonely Whale launch group to address marine litter

·         Dell and Lonely Whale bring together cross-industry consortium of companies to scale the use of ocean-bound plastics

·         With support of UN Environment, The Lonely Whale will convene the group to create the first global, scalable and operational supply chain that reduces the amount of plastic entering ocean

·         Each company agrees to test integration of ocean-bound plastic into products or packaging and reduce source plastic across their operations and supply chain

Source: NextWave. A consortium meeting.

Dell and Lonely Whale have announced an open-source initiative called NextWave, comprising General Motors, Trek Bicycle, carpet tile specialist Interface, furniture makers Herman Miller and Van de Sant, workplace solutions provider Humanscale, as well as skateboard and sunglasses designer Bureo.

NextWave brings leading technology and consumer-focused companies together to develop the first-ever commercial-scale ocean-bound plastics supply chain. Additional supporting members of the group include UN Environment, the 5Gyres Institute, the Zoological Society of London and the New Materials Institute.

Research shows that an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste entered the ocean in 2010, and if trends do not change more than 150 million tonnes of plastic waste will have entered the ocean by 2025. This poses not only a threat to vital ocean ecosystems including critical fish nurseries and coral reefs, but also adversely affects the health and longevity of marine species and humans.

NextWave members will share responsibility in development of a sustainable model that reduces ocean-bound plastic pollution at scale, while creating an economic and social benefit for multiple stakeholders. In addition, the group will ensure that the resulting supply chain has the infrastructure and support necessary to meet demand as well as align with globally approved social and environmental standards. Finally, the initiative will confirm the integrity of the supply chain and resulting product integration through chain-of-custody compliance and external, third-party verification of impact.

Kevin Brown, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Dell said, “Collaboration is critical to addressing the issue of ocean plastic at scale. I’m thrilled to partner closely with leaders across industries to advance our collective interest in creating solutions that create value from waste.”

Adrian Grenier, Founder, Lonely Whale; Social Good Advisor, Dell said, “I am so proud to see our partnership with Dell continue to grow and inspire companies across industries to use their capabilities to address ocean health. This is no individual company’s problem; this impacts every human being and company, and it is incredible to see these industry leaders coming together.”

Erik Solheim, Executive Director, United Nations Environment said, “The oceans are facing a plastic pandemic and it is critical for companies to take ownership of their supply chains and for consumers be aware of how their everyday choices can have a lasting legacy. We welcome Dell and Lonely Whale for organising this working group and spearheading what we hope will be a catalyst to innovation that can only be achieved by working together.”

Jon Strassner, Director of Workplace Strategies, Humanscale noted, “At Humanscale, we believe that manufacturers should not only strive to make a net positive impact on our environment, but also work diligently to restore and repair natural habitats. Reducing marine debris, especially ghost fishing gear, is of paramount concern to us, as it should be to manufacturers everywhere. We are truly excited to join Dell, Lonely Whale and other forward thinking companies in the effort to restore our marine habitats and eliminate the careless introduction of plastic into our oceans.”

The Lonely Whale, an NGO dedicated to bringing people closer to the world’s ocean through K-12 education*, consumer campaigns and market-based solutions will convene the group. NextWave will actively engage scientists and advocates working with marine litter and ocean health to advise on a sustainable model that supports the needs of coastal communities and environments. The initiative is supported by UN Environment, with private sector partners invited to sign up to the Clean Seas campaign as part of their commitment.

NextWave anticipates that together they will divert more than 1.4 million kg of plastics from entering the ocean within five years, the equivalent to keeping 66 million water bottles from washing out to sea.

Importantly, member companies have agreed to also reduce plastic usage across their operations and supply chains. While working to stop the flow of ocean-bound plastic it is critical to ensure each company assesses its own plastic footprint and eliminates and/or significantly reduces its own use of single-use and non-recyclable plastics.

Dell has a history of supporting programmes that further enable a circular economy as a part of its 2020 Legacy of Good Plan. The NextWave initiative began from the relationships between Dell and the Lonely Whale. In 2015, Dell partnered with Adrian Grenier, founder of Lonely Whale, to educate companies and consumers on the dangers of ocean plastics through the Lonely Whale virtual reality (VR) experience, powered by Dell.

Dell launched its first ocean-bound plastic packaging pilot in February 2017 and assisted with the launch of the UN Environment Programme’s Clean Seas Initiative which has led to more than 33 countries taking action to reduce marine litter. In June Dell and Lonely Whale addressed the United Nations at the 2017 UN Ocean Conference, where Dell pledged its commitment to UN sustainable development goal (SDG) 14 - to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Explore:

Watch the video introducing NextWave

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about Dell's first product packaging incorporating ocean plastics

Hashtag: #CleanSeas

*Education for four- to 19-year-olds