Ocean Recovery Alliance
OUR MISSION
Ocean Recovery Alliance is to reduce plastic pollution on land and water by creating strategic solutions for governments, industry and communities which lead to long-term, hands-on engaging business practices. Our mission is achieved through purposefully designed programs to educate, build awareness and provide solutions which inspire positive societal change at the community, national and international levels.
We bring together new ways of thinking, technologies, creativity and collaborations in order to introduce innovative projects and initiatives that will help improve our ocean environment. This includes creating business opportunities for local communities when applicable, in order to address some of the pressing issues that our ocean faces today. If you would like us to speak at one of your corporate events, conferences or universities, please let us know.
Ocean Recovery Alliance is a 501c3 registered non-profit in California, and is a registered charitable organization in Hong Kong. Ocean Recovery Alliance takes a lead with a variety of existing stakeholders, leveraging each of their qualities and institutional capacities when needed, while combining forces with the business and technology sectors in ways that have not been done before.
FOUNDER
Its founder, Doug Woodring, recently was awarded the coveted Prince's Prize for Innovative Philanthropy from Prince Albert of Monaco for his work in this space. The group is an umbrella organization which operates and organizes a variety of sub-projects, some of which have their own operating teams, budgets and objectives.
To put the issue of plastic pollution into context, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) pointed to plastic pollution in the ocean as one of their main three focal points in their 2011 UNEP Yearbook. Now in 2018, the world has woken to this issue in a much broader fashion, making our Plastic Disclosure Project all the more valuable to help companies and governments enter into a circular economy, because if you don't measure what you have, you can't manage it, or know what to circulate. We are the founder of the unique Plasticity Forum, focused on the future of plastic, and where the leaders are going with design, innovation, materials, recycling and solutions, for a world with reduced waste.
These events have been held in Rio de Janeiro (at the Rio +20 Earth Summit), Hong Kong, New York, Portugal, Shanghai, London, Dallas, Los Angeles, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur. Previous sponsors include Dell, HP, the American Chemistry Council, World Plastic Council, Nature Works, SPE, Vanden Recycling, Global Ocean Commission, Avery Dennision, Malaysian Plastic Manufacturing Association, IGE Solutions, Dow, BASF, Sabic and others. Our press release on Plasticity Shanghai, about the need for plastic sustainability, was picked up by publications that reach an audience of over 385,000,000 people.
.png)
World Bank
​
Hongkong Rugby 7s
Plastic Disclosure Project
Pacific Coffee Hong Kong
Global Alert
​
Grate Art: Art for Awareness
Watsons Water
​
.png)
Kids Ocean Day Hong Kong
We have worked with many other companies, sponsors and volunteers over the past six years, and appreciate all of their help and support for our work.
At the UNEP/NOAA Marine Pollution Conference in Hawaii in March 2011, UNEP called the issue of plastic pollution a “wicked problem,” as there are so many aspects to it that need to be in place for the problem to be solved, particularly as it is "multi-source" pollutant.
In order to address these issues in a broad manner, the Ocean Recovery Alliance's two CGI projects are enabling tools for citizens, community groups, businesses and government entities to become involved in reducing plastic waste and making its use more efficient so that we can minimize the amount that finds its way into our environment.
​
Our 2014 report for UNEP, conducted by ourselves and Trucost, is the first that has put a "natural capital" cost of plastic polluion from the consumer good sector.
A nation that fails to plan intelligently for the development and protection of its precious waters will be condemned to wither because of its shortsightedness. The hard lessons of history are clear, written on the deserted sands and ruins of once proud civilizations."
President Lyndon B. Johnson
