EXXPEDITION: NORTH PACIFIC

In the summer of 2018, I joined a team of 13 women and sailed from Honolulu, Hawaii to Vancouver, BC, to conduct research on ocean plastic. We sailed through the densest accumulation zone of plastic on the planet, the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” and gathered samples to aid in research aimed at discovering what all of this plastic in our environment is doing to our health, and our home. As a packaging designer, I have a particular interest in understanding this issue, and sharing my experience with the industry, to effect positive change.

the PROBLEM

The plastic we produce on land often ends up in the sea. Plastic, a material that was designed to last forever, is often used for disposable packaging, due to it’s inexpensive, malleable properties. This is a fundamental design problem we can solve. With only 7% of plastic recycled in the US annually, it’s imperative new solutions are developed today.

The science

Scientists around the globe are working to connect the dots of what all of this plastic is doing to our health and to our planet. During our expedition, we had a multidisciplinary crew at sea, including two marine scientists, who led us in the collection of samples that would help inform the word of over a dozen researchers on land.