Common Seas was founded by Jo Royle, who led the organisation as CEO until March 2024. Inspired by the realisation that plastic had become ever present in the ocean, Jo, a former trans-ocean yacht skipper, created Common Seas to help stop marine plastic pollution.
Our approach is based in a deep commitment to collaboration and builds on a history of successful programmes and demonstration projects around the world.
In summer 2024, the Government of Barbados published a National Action Plan on Plastic Pollution, developed with Common Seas.
In 2022, we found plastic in the blood of 77% of people we tested. It was the first time plastic had been found in human blood.
The news went around the world, propelled by our Blood Type Plastic+ campaign.
Increasingly, plastic pollution is now recognised as a human health issue, as well as a social and an environmental issue.
Find out more about our research into Plastic and Our Health
In 2020, we started three demonstration projects in Paros, Greece. The projects focussed on tackling tourist waste at the source including through:
• Water refill,
• Reusable materials for hospitality, and
• Cigarette butt disposal.
We deployed Plastic Drawdown in The Maldives at the request of the Maldivian government.
The Maldivian President announced a commitment to phase out single-use plastics at the UN General Assembly later in 2019.
The plan contained a holistic portfolio of policy instruments, including import bans, tariffs, and deposit-return schemes, as well as increased provision for education, data collection and alternative materials.
We deployed Plastic Drawdown in Indonesia at the request of the government. The framework identified single-use plastic diapers as a major pollutant.
In response, we started our first reuse demonstration project in Surabaya, Indonesia, introducing Bumbi reusable diapers. Over the following years, Bumbi diapers have prevented millions of single-use diapers from entering the Brantas river.
We developed our Plastic Drawdown framework in consultation with 24 governments, more than half of whom are Small Island Developing States.
This new rapid-assessment framework solves the problems encountered by high-data models, working with the country’s available resources to help decision-makers identify and deliver effective pollution mitigation strategies.
"During their 128-day journey, the six-member crew lived in a cabin of just 20 feet by 15 feet (6 meters by 4.5 meters), took saltwater showers, and survived on a diet of dehydrated and canned food, supplemented with the occasional vegetable from their small on-board garden. Along the way, they fought giant ocean swells, 62-knot (70mph) winds, temperatures up to 38C and torn sails. The crew briefly stopped in Queensland last week, after battling a brutal storm off the Australian coast." The Guardian
Plastiki: showcasing circular design and raising awareness of ocean plastic pollution.
Common Seas was inspired by the Plastiki, a ground-breaking campaign that showcased the potential of circular design and raised awareness of plastic pollution.To demonstrate the potential of circular design, our founder, Jo Royle skippered the Plastiki, 8,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Twelve thousand used plastic bottles provided the boat's buoyancy and attracted the curiosity of the world’s media.
Plastiki’s partners included: Hewlett Packard, Inmarsat, Nike, Khiels and IWC.
Jo Royle speaking at TEDx Talk