LBS OF PLASTIC COLLECTED FROM CLEANUPS
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LBS OF PLASTIC DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS
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E.P.I.C. | Plastic Pollution Emergency Response™
E.P.I.C. | Plastic Pollution Emergency Response™
LBS OF PLASTIC COLLECTED FROM CLEANUPS
The EPIC Program incorporates a four pillar hands-on approach to end plastic pollution: EDUCATION, POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURE & CLEANUP.
Ending Ocean Plastic Pollution!
As a Canadian-based, international non-profit organization, founded in 2013, we are dedicated to ending ocean plastic pollution around the world. Our mission is to develop and implement international response programs that combat this critical challenge. We combine innovative technologies, education, and skills training to transform plastic pollution into economic value. Additionally, we collaborate closely with local communities, tailoring tools to prevent further plastic pollution and protect their unique environments.
Our vision is a world where oceans thrive, free from the devastating impacts of plastic pollution. We envision a planet working together to support the plastic circular economy where everyone, and everything, benefits. We believe in the power of collective action, empowering communities and individuals to be stewards of their marine environments while supporting and developing a sense of responsibility for leaving future generations a legacy of healthy, thriving ocean ecosystems and a plastic pollution free world.
Here at Ocean Legacy Foundation we are a diverse team, driven by a deep responsibility to protect our oceans for present and future generations. Our integrated approach, called EPIC, focuses on Education & Research, Policy & Advocacy, Infrastructure Development, and Cleanup & Restoration. Through EPIC, we aim to restore critical ecosystems, improve both human and wildlife health, and establish sustainable infrastructure and policies to prevent oceanic plastic pollution at its source.
How many tons of plastics are in the ocean and how did it all get there? Why is ocean plastic a global problem? What are some facts about plastic pollution in our oceans and on our shorelines? Are we eating Microplastics? How should we deal with the recovered plastic from beach cleanups?
Ending ocean plastic pollution! Our EPIC program: Plastic Pollution Emergency Response™ consists of a 4-pillar approach to dealing with ocean plastics: Education, Policy, Infrastructure and Cleanup. Learn more about how you can get involved and help us transform, cleanup and prevent ocean plastic problems in the first place.
In 2025, we successfully diverted 19,969 kg of shoreline tires from the environment, representing 1,081 individual tires responsibly received and processed.
Many of these tires contain styrofoam inserts, requiring additional manual work. Each tire must be carefully cut and separated so both the rubber and styrofoam can be recycled through appropriate streams. This extra step is critical to ensuring materials don’t return to the environment, and are properly reincorporated into the economy.
This work would not be possible without the continued partnership and support of Tire Stewardship BC. Through their support, we have been able to establish an additional recycling pathway for shoreline tires and strengthen our processing capacity. TSBC also contributes $30,000 annually to support the intake and diversion of these materials.
If you want to help us continue making an EPIC impact, visit oceanleacy.ca.
#OceanLegacy #TireDiversion #CircularEconomy #MarineDebris #PlasticPollution #RecyclingImpact #PartnershipsThatWork #RecycleBC
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Historic news for ocean protection!
The High Seas Treaty has officially entered into force, creating the first legally binding framework to protect biodiversity in international waters, areas that belong to everyone and no one.
This agreement enables the creation of marine protected areas, stronger environmental safeguards, and more equitable global collaboration to protect fragile ocean ecosystems.
At Ocean Legacy, we celebrate this moment while recognizing that the real work lies ahead: turning global commitments into tangible protection for the ocean.
Read more via Oceanographic Magazine:
oceanographicmagazine.com/news/high-seas-treaty-enters-into-force-after-decades-of-negotiations/
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Today is Blue Monday (January 19), often described as the saddest day of the year and commonly associated with lower moods and seasonal challenges. While it’s known as a difficult moment in the year, it’s also an opportunity to pause, reflect, and redirect energy toward something meaningful.
For Ocean Legacy, blue is more than a feeling, it’s a commitment. A commitment to cleaner coastlines, stronger systems, and a blue legacy that prioritizes healthy, plastic-free oceans for generations to come.
Join us in turning awareness into action, support the work that keeps our oceans blue and free from plastic. Visit www.oceanlegacy.ca to learn more!
#BlueMonday #KeepOurOceansBlue #BlueLegacy #OceanLegacy #PlasticPollution #OceanProtection #CollectiveAction
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As we step into 2026, we want to share our New Year’s resolution: To continue with our mission to end plastic pollution by strengthening recovery systems, supporting communities on the ground, and ensuring marine debris is responsibly managed at end of life, not left behind or exported as someone else’s problem.
Ending plastic pollution takes more than awareness. It takes collective action, long-term systems, and people willing to show up in meaningful ways.
Here are 5 ways you can help move this mission forward in 2026:
1.- Reduce and rethink plastic use
2.- Take action locally
3.- Support organizations doing the hard work
4.- Use your voice
5.- Stay engaged
Share it in the comments and help inspire collective action as we move into the year ahead.
#EndPlasticPollution #ProtectOurOceans #CircularSolutions #CommunityAction
#OceanAction
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A meaningful step forward for ocean protection in Canada.
Petition e-6795 has been officially certified for presentation to the House of Commons!
This is an important signal that when our voices come together, they are heard. Collective public action plays a critical role in advancing policy conversations around plastic pollution and environmental responsibility.
To everyone who signed and supported this petition, thank you. Your engagement is helping move this issue forward at the federal level.
Huge thank you to @MP Gord Johns for his leadership in bringing this issue forward to the House of Commons and for representing coastal voices across Canada on these critical matters.
We will continue advocating for systemic solutions and will keep our community updated as this petition progresses.
#OceanLegacy #PolicyAction #plasticpollution #HouseofCommons #EnvironmentalAdvocacy #CollectiveImpact #oceanprotection #canada
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Did you know you can now get a tax receipt for donating to support Ocean Legacy’s work in Canada? It’s true!
Thanks to our new program delivery partnership with Canadian Urban Planning Foundation, Charitable Impact will issue tax receipts to donors supporting it’s Ocean Legacy Giving Group.
This collaboration recognizes the importance of healthy coastal cities and marine ecosystems and supports Ocean Legacy’s work in restoration, education, and circular-economic innovation.
♻️ We are always recovering more ocean plastic, and we need a new forklift to sort it for recycling. We are raising $16K!
Make your tax receiptable donation → Link in bio
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In 2025, Ocean Legacy continued to strengthen circular economy pathways that move recovered marine plastics into meaningful, responsible reuse. This work is only possible with business partners who are willing to engage with recycled materials, invest in responsible production systems, and help build viable end markets.
We extend our sincere thanks to the businesses and partners who supported this work throughout the year, contributing to processing improvements, equipment capacity, product development, and market expansion. These collaborations play a critical role in ensuring recovered marine plastics remain out of the environment and are reintegrated into resilient, locally grounded circular economies.
We are grateful to all partners, named and unnamed, who contributed to advancing circular solutions and strengthening the systems needed for long-term impact.
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DONATIONS THAT FOLLOW THROUGH ON COMMUNITY EFFORT
Across 5 depots in British Columbia and 1 central collection and processing centre in Nova Scotia, Ocean Legacy works with coastal communities, volunteers, and local partners to receive plastic recovered from shorelines, ocean and marine industrial cleanups to move it into responsible recovery pathways. We extend sincere thanks to everyone who brought, handled, and processed plastic at our depots in Ucluelet, Powell River, Port McNeill, Cumberland, Sechelt, and Happy Landing.
In 2025, one reality became increasingly clear. The scale of community action is growing, and with it the need for stable systems to support that effort. Increased volumes of recovered plastic reflect the dedication of people on the ground, and also reveal capacity limits within our current infrastructure.
This is why our year end fundraising is focused on closing a specific capacity gap. With $16,000 left to raise for a forklift, we are working to ensure we can safely and efficiently process the material communities have already worked hard to recover.
Every donation, large or small, supports the people, infrastructure, and systems that make this work possible. Thank you for your trust in long term, systems-based solutions and in the collective effort required to protect ocean health.
To make your contribution, please visit:
oceanlegacy.ca/leadership-giving
THANK YOU TO OUR DEPOT COMMUNITIES
📍 District of Ucluelet
📍 qathet Regional District
📍 Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District Government
📍 Sunshine Coast Regional District
📍 Regional District of Mount Waddington
📍 Municipality of the District of Lunenburg - MODL
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As we reflect on 2025 and get ready for (gasp) 2026 (already?), we want to pause and acknowledge the people, communities, and partners who made Ocean Legacy’s work possible this year.
Environmental recovery is not seasonal. It continues through holidays, weather, logistical constraints, and uncertainty. It is sustained by people who choose to care, contribute, and stay engaged even when the work is complex and long-term.
Today, we extend our sincere thanks to all our staff, volunteers, community partners, Nations, regional districts, businesses, donors, customers, vendors… everyone! Your commitment helped move marine debris out of the environment and into responsible recovery pathways, strengthening systems that protect ocean health for the future.
We wish you a restorative holiday season, with gratitude for what we’ve built together and resolve for the work we have ahead.
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The work behind marine debris recovery is rarely simple or linear, and it is the human element, problem solving, coordination, and persistence—that allows these systems to hold together and improve over time.
We recognize and thank all the individuals and organizations who help build, maintain, and strengthen these systems alongside us. Your expertise, time, and trust make it possible to translate community action into real, measurable outcomes: 1 pound of ocean plastic removed for every $4-5 spent. And that includes the labour, gear, and transport to make this all possible in harsh, remote and dangerous situations.
We are deeply grateful to be funded by donors who understand that lasting environmental progress is not driven by single actions, but by skilled, collective, sustained effort.
This year we’ve added the extra incentive of making your support of Ocean Legacy’s work tax receiptable, thanks to our new Charitable Impact giving group. To make your donation count for the people removing ocean plastic, please visit: oceanlegacy.ca/leadership-giving
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Keep up the amazing work!
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Just another day in the office and one of our Ocean Plastic Depots. In these depots, we receive and sort tons of marine debris every year into more than 13 categories. Whatever we can process, we send to our Plastic Pollution Emergency Response Facility, where it’s being turned into @legacyplastictm. We are making so much progress in making fully circular products!
#plasticpollution #circulareconomy #marinedebris
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Giving Tuesday is today, and we are grateful for the support already received toward Ocean Legacy Foundation’s forklift fundraiser.
A second forklift will significantly strengthen our ability to safely and efficiently manage the large volumes of marine debris arriving at our recycling facility every week. This upgrade increases our processing capacity, minimizes operational bottlenecks, and ensures more ocean plastics are recovered and transformed instead of polluting the environment.
If you or your organization would like to support this essential equipment upgrade, you can contribute using the link below. Thank you for helping us build stronger systems that protect our ocean.
Donate here: donorbox.org/giving-tuesday-oceanlegacy
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Reduce Post-Holiday Waste: The Plastics-Free Christmas Challenge!
This holiday season, Ocean Legacy Foundation and the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Richmond invite you to celebrate with intention. Christmas is a time for connection and generosity, but it also brings a surge of plastic waste. This challenge encourages you to rethink familiar traditions and choose practices that keep the season joyful while reducing environmental impact.
Throughout the holidays, take a moment to notice how much plastic has quietly become part of everyday celebrations, from gift wrap to décor, tableware, and stocking stuffers. The Plastics-Free Christmas Challenge offers practical ideas and sustainable alternatives to help you enjoy the season with less waste and more meaning.
Explore simple ways to make a difference: reusable gift wrapping, natural decorations, plastic-free greeting cards, thoughtful gifting, package-free shopping, and low-waste entertaining. Every small choice supports a cleaner environment and contributes to healthier oceans.
Created in collaboration with CFUW Richmond, this guide is a reminder that holiday joy and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.
Stay tuned throughout December as we share weekly steps and challenges to help you reduce waste and make this holiday season a little lighter on the planet!
#greenholiday #greenchristmas #ZeroWaste
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Reduce Post-Holiday Waste: The Plastics-Free Christmas Challenge!
This holiday season, Ocean Legacy Foundation and the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Richmond invite you to celebrate with intention. Christmas is a time for connection and generosity, but it also brings a surge of plastic waste. This challenge encourages you to rethink familiar traditions and choose practices that keep the season joyful while reducing environmental impact.
Throughout the holidays, take a moment to notice how much plastic has quietly become part of everyday celebrations, from gift wrap to décor, tableware, and stocking stuffers. The Plastics-Free Christmas Challenge offers practical ideas and sustainable alternatives to help you enjoy the season with less waste and more meaning.
Explore simple ways to make a difference: reusable gift wrapping, natural decorations, plastic-free greeting cards, thoughtful gifting, package-free shopping, and low-waste entertaining. Every small choice supports a cleaner environment and contributes to healthier oceans.
Created in collaboration with CFUW Richmond, this guide is a reminder that holiday joy and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.
Stay tuned throughout December as we share weekly steps and challenges to help you reduce waste and make this holiday season a little lighter on the planet!
#greenholiday #greenchristmas #ZeroWaste
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Heli Cleanup in Quatsino Territory
Another successful remote cleanup on the rugged North West Coast of Vancouver Island!
With support from a dedicated Quatsino Guardian, two amazing volunteers from West Coast Heli, and a pilot ready for anything, we managed to sling out 8,000 lbs of debris from hard-to-reach shoreline.
Shoutout to the Fox’s Disposal truck drivers who didn’t hesitate to jump in and help load the bins, true community teamwork.
Every pound removed protects coastal ecosystems and keeps these places thriving.
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Wear the Message. Fight the Mess.
"Now that’s an ugly sweater."
This limited-edition sweatshirt uses bold design to raise awareness about ocean plastic pollution. Made for Blue Friday (not Black Friday) it’s a cozy way to take a stand against overconsumption while preparing for the holiday season!
Every purchase supports our mission to clean up marine plastic waste. Shop now and wear your impact.
Get a 15% off in ALL items in our store with the code BLUE25 starting today until Sunday November 30th!
Buy the Ugliest Sweatshirt here: oceanlegacy.shop/products/unisex-sweatshirt
#UglySweater #BlueFriday #OceanLegacy #PlasticPollution #EcoFashion #ConsciousConsumer
oceanlegacy.shop
Make a Statement This Blue Friday Ditch fast fashion and wear your values. This warm, durable sweatshirt blends festive style with a powerful message, perfect for those choosing conscious impact over ...0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Another successful cleanup milestone!
Huge shout out to Nevil and his team at Quadra island beach clean dream team!, the support of Gina and Alex, Matt and J Toelle Construction and the local Read and Quadra community for making the removal of over 1,000 lbs of abandoned styrofoam dock floatation possible. The removal took place from Surge Narrows on Read Island, transporting the recovered material to the Cumberland Ocean Legacy recycling facility for proper processing.
Styrofoam pollution from aging marine infrastructure continues to threaten coastal ecosystems, breaking apart into countless micro-fragments that impact wildlife and shorelines. By moving this material into a responsible recycling stream, we’re helping protect local waters and supporting communities working hard to restore their coastlines.
A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this recovery possible and for your commitment to healthier, cleaner marine environments. Together, we’re moving harmful debris out of sensitive habitats and into circular solutions that keep plastic out of the ocean.
If you’d like to support more impact like this, visit our socials or website to learn how you can get involved or contribute to our marine debris recovery programs.
learn more at: oceanlegacy.ca
Photo credit: Gina Bo Bina Gina Hopkins and Nevil Hand
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This Giving Tuesday, we’re opening the doors to one of our biggest operational challenges. At Ocean Legacy, our entire facility depends on a single forklift to move thousands of pounds of material collected from coastal cleanups, ghost gear retrieval, and community-led efforts across British Columbia.
When that one machine is tied up or down for maintenance, our workflow slows, debris piles up, and our ability to support remote communities is delayed. A second forklift isn’t just equipment, it’s essential to keeping our mission moving safely, efficiently, and without interruption.
Your support today helps us meet the growing demand for coastal protection work and ensures our team can continue processing high volumes of marine debris with the urgency this issue requires.
If you’re able, please consider supporting our Giving Tuesday fundraiser. Every contribution brings us one step closer to securing the second forklift our operations urgently need.
Donate now: lnkd.in/gw2bEUZj
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Last week, Ocean Legacy Foundation participated in the OceanLitter Programme Training and Workshop on marine plastic litter from sea-based sources hosted by the International Maritime Organization in London, England. We joined global leaders, innovators, and practitioners committed to advancing solutions to marine pollution and ocean stewardship.
Our team showcased the practical impact of our work across British Columbia and Canada, including large-scale shoreline cleanups, material recovery through the Ocean Plastic Depot Network, and the development of Legacy Plastic, our high-quality recycled plastic made from recovered marine debris.
Events like this highlight the importance of collaboration between governments, industry, and civil society. We are proud to represent British Columbia on the global stage, share our experience building circular systems for marine plastics, and learn from partners working toward a cleaner, safer ocean.
Thank you to the organizers and all participating delegates for the meaningful conversations and momentum toward collective action.
Learn more about this workshop: www.imo.org/en/about/events/pages/oceanlitter-gtf-training-and-workshop.aspx
Learn more about our work at oceanlegacy.ca
Photo Credits: IMO and Nicole Baker 🙂
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Ocean Legacy was featured in the recent article published by IntraFish — “Endless, unlimited amounts of plastic: The people trying to fix seafood’s waste crisis” — which sheds light on the startling scale of discarded fishing gear in our oceans.
At OLF, our mission is to turn this crisis into opportunity. Through our Plastic Pollution Emergency Response Facility, Ocean Plastic Depot Network and Legacy Plastic™ programme, we’re working with coastal communities, governments and industry players to collect, recycle and repurpose ghost gear and other marine plastic waste.
A heartfelt thank-you to our valued partners for standing with us in this work:
• Our community and industry depots across British Columbia and the Maritimes
• Indigenous stewardship groups and local governments on whose territories we operate
• Corporate partners and recyclers enabling the supply chain from “gear in” to “goods out”
• Other non-profit collaborators and education/advocacy networks helping to shift policy and behaviour
Together, we’re raising awareness of this issue — when 500,000 to 1 million tons of fishing gear enter the ocean every year, we must act.
Want to be a part of the solution?
✓ Learn more about how you can help prevent gear loss or support our recycling efforts
✓ Follow along as we turn recovered gear into products that keep plastic out of the ocean
✓ Share this post and help raise the visibility of ghost-gear as a major marine pollution problem
www.intrafish.com/sustainability/endless-unlimited-amounts-of-plastic-the-people-trying-to-fix-se...
Read article here:
#OceanLegacy #LegacyPlastic #MarineDebris #CircularEconomy #GhostGear #PlasticPollution #OceanConservation
'Endless, unlimited amounts of plastic': The people trying to fix seafood’s waste crisis
www.intrafish.com
Between 500,000 and 1 million tons of fishing gear are entering the ocean every year, while further volumes are sent to landfill, incinerated, or left to pile up in coastal communities. Why aren’t w...1 CommentsComment on Facebook
We are set up and ready for the Training and Workshop on marine plastic litter from sea-based sources hosted by the International Maritime Organization, under the OceanLitter Programme. Our Co-Founder & Executive Director Chloé Dubois will be presenting “Gear In, Goods Out: An EPIC Model Linking Fisheries to Plastic Circular Supply Chain Development”. We also have an exhibition to showcase our work!
We hope to make great connections and continue expanding our network to bring our work to many other areas!
Learn more about this event at: www.imo.org/en/about/events/pages/oceanlitter-gtf-training-and-workshop.aspx
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This Blue Friday, help us end ocean plastic pollution.
Join the Ocean Legacy Foundation in protecting our coastlines and marine ecosystems by removing and recycling harmful plastics from the ocean. We’re raising $23,000 to purchase a second forklift for our Steveston, B.C. recycling depot — a vital tool that will double our capacity to move and process marine debris.
Through our Plastic Pollution Emergency Response Facility (PPERF) and Ocean Plastic Depot Network, we work with communities across B.C. to recover, recycle, and transform ocean plastics into Legacy Plastic™, giving waste new life and keeping it out of our waters.
Our Impact
🌊 2.5+ million kilograms of marine debris removed from shorelines to date
♻️ Canada’s largest marine plastic recycling network, with depots in B.C. and the Maritimes
🤝 Collaborating with local governments, Indigenous communities, and corporate partners to protect marine ecosystems
🏗 Turning ocean plastics into sustainable building materials to support Canada’s circular economy
Donate today on this link! donorbox.org/giving-tuesday-oceanlegacy
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A little more of an insight about the cleanup led by Greenways Land Trust, these heroes have removed about four tonnes worth of industrial tires and styrofoam what were leaking harmful contaminants to our beautiful beaches in Campbell River!
Thank you to everyone who supported in this, it inspires us to see community and collaboration in action! Hats up to Greenways and to Coast Island Marine, the At-legay Fisheries Society, Pacific Woodwaste, Menzies Transport, Way Key Excavating, CVRD Waste Management Services, the Campbell River Salmon Foundation, and DFO.
Read more about this cleanup here:
www.mycampbellrivernow.com
Eleven large industrial tires, each weighing about four tonnes, have been removed from a shoreline in Campbell River.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Do you have plans tonight? Our dear friends from PLAEX Building Systems Inc. have participated in the Dragon's Den and it will be airing tonight!
Don't miss the opportunity to watch another great sustainable solution to plastic pollution!
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Thank you again to the The Peak - voice of the qathet region for featuring another one of our projects in their platform! We keep expanding our collection points to support as many coastal communities as we can and get our beautiful coasts free from plastic pollution and ghost gear!
Read this note here:
www.northislandgazette.com/local-news/two-marine-debris-drop-zones-in-quatsino-sound-aim-to-keep-...
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Roughly 12 million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. Since 2021, The Ocean Legacy Foundation, in B.C., has collected 1,544 tons of plastic from oceans and shorelines.
The company takes the salvaged plastic and recycles it into durable products made from their signature Legacy Plastic. Manufacturers buy and use Legacy Plastic as construction lumber or to create products like planters, deck furniture, and picnic tables.
Read how Ocean Legacy processes its salvaged plastic into Legacy Plastic: buff.ly/e1yhzEk
#VancouverBCCanada
#RecycledPlastics
#OceanPlasticPollution
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New Partnership to Recycle Neoprene Waste!
We are excited to share that Ocean Legacy Foundation is collaborating with Surfrider Foundation Canada through their ReSurf program to collect old wetsuits through our Ocean Plastic Depots!
This pilot project marks a key step in expanding our partnerships to handle more diverse marine materials for items that often end up in landfills.
After collecting the wetsuits in our Ocean Plastic Depots, we will coordinate with ReSurf for their collection so they can be reincorporated to the circular economy!
Learn more about our work at oceanplasticdepots.ca
#OceanLegacy #surfridercanada #LegacyPlastic #marinedebris #circulareconomy #plasticrecycling #ghostgear #oceanprotection #NeopreneRecycling
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