Clean Oceans International (COI) is a Santa Cruz, California based 501c3 non-profit.
COI’s Vision is a healthy marine environment free of plastic pollution. COI’s Mission is to reduce oceanic plastic pollution through research, innovation, and direct action. Our Goal is to develop financially attractive and environmentally friendly recycling infrastructure at local levels on a global scale.
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Clean Oceans International Backstory
Clean Oceans International began as a grassroots effort in 2008, sparked by a firsthand encounter with the alarming scale of plastic pollution during a voyage through the Panama Canal. Originally launched as The Clean Oceans Project, we set out to develop systems for locating, collecting, and recycling ocean plastic with minimal environmental and financial impact. In 2015, that vision evolved into Clean Oceans International, with a renewed focus on science, innovation, and Portable Plastic Waste Conversion (PPWC) systems. Today, COI continues to pursue practical, community-based solutions to reduce plastic pollution worldwide
Research, Innovation, and Direct Action (RID)
Research
COI’s Research initiative, the Environmental Plastic Assessment Program (EPAP), engages volunteers in shoreline-based data collection during cleanups and independent surveys. EPAP generates valuable data with minimal financial input, while also raising awareness of plastic pollution through community participation and corporate team-building efforts.
Consistent monitoring of shorelines and coastal environments is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of cleanup efforts and other abatement strategies. EPAP is designed to be simple, scalable, and accessible - requiring only 1–2 people and basic hand tools to conduct meaningful surveys.
Innovation
We are advancing Portable Plastic Waste Conversion (PPWC) technology - compact systems designed to convert plastic waste into fuel and other valuable products at the point of collection.
Our work began in 2010 with the Blest BeH 1-kg tabletop unit, supported by third-party chemical analysis. In 2015, COI acquired its first EFT-100 system and launched in-house energy testing. That system was later donated to Oregon State University’s School of Chemical Engineering for further research and development. OSU has since transferred the unit to Gulf of Alaska Keeper, a nonprofit leading remote coastal cleanups, which plans to use the system in fall 2025 to process tons of collected plastic waste gathered in their cleanup zones.
COI continues to collaborate with waste management experts, local businesses, and agricultural partners to refine both the technical and financial models needed for broader deployment. By turning plastic into a locally valuable resource, PPWC systems help reframe plastic waste from pollution to potential. Just as deposit programs significantly reduced can and bottle litter, creating value for plastic scrap can drive its collection, conversion, and responsible management.
Direct Action
We apply what we’ve learned through direct action, engaging communities and ecosystems affected by plastic waste. Since 2013, COI staff and thousands of volunteers have conducted shoreline cleanups and plastic assessments across diverse environments - from remote islands to urban coastlines. These efforts span North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Through these hands-on expeditions, we’ve gained critical insights into the diversity of plastic packaging, as well as the waste management systems, regulatory landscapes, and cultural practices that shape local responses to pollution.
This global field experience directly informs our approach to deploying PPWC systems in remote and underserved communities. For these systems to succeed, they must integrate smoothly into local infrastructure, workforce norms, and policy frameworks. Our goal is to ensure that any community - no matter how isolated - can access affordable, practical technology that makes plastic management economically viable.
COI’s Research initiative, the Environmental Plastic Assessment Program (EPAP), engages volunteers in shoreline-based data collection during cleanups and independent surveys. EPAP generates valuable data with minimal financial input, while also raising awareness of plastic pollution through community participation and corporate team-building efforts.
Consistent monitoring of shorelines and coastal environments is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of cleanup efforts and other abatement strategies. EPAP is designed to be simple, scalable, and accessible - requiring only 1–2 people and basic hand tools to conduct meaningful surveys.
Innovation
We are advancing Portable Plastic Waste Conversion (PPWC) technology - compact systems designed to convert plastic waste into fuel and other valuable products at the point of collection.
Our work began in 2010 with the Blest BeH 1-kg tabletop unit, supported by third-party chemical analysis. In 2015, COI acquired its first EFT-100 system and launched in-house energy testing. That system was later donated to Oregon State University’s School of Chemical Engineering for further research and development. OSU has since transferred the unit to Gulf of Alaska Keeper, a nonprofit leading remote coastal cleanups, which plans to use the system in fall 2025 to process tons of collected plastic waste gathered in their cleanup zones.
COI continues to collaborate with waste management experts, local businesses, and agricultural partners to refine both the technical and financial models needed for broader deployment. By turning plastic into a locally valuable resource, PPWC systems help reframe plastic waste from pollution to potential. Just as deposit programs significantly reduced can and bottle litter, creating value for plastic scrap can drive its collection, conversion, and responsible management.
Direct Action
We apply what we’ve learned through direct action, engaging communities and ecosystems affected by plastic waste. Since 2013, COI staff and thousands of volunteers have conducted shoreline cleanups and plastic assessments across diverse environments - from remote islands to urban coastlines. These efforts span North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Through these hands-on expeditions, we’ve gained critical insights into the diversity of plastic packaging, as well as the waste management systems, regulatory landscapes, and cultural practices that shape local responses to pollution.
This global field experience directly informs our approach to deploying PPWC systems in remote and underserved communities. For these systems to succeed, they must integrate smoothly into local infrastructure, workforce norms, and policy frameworks. Our goal is to ensure that any community - no matter how isolated - can access affordable, practical technology that makes plastic management economically viable.