Ocean Plastic Depot opens in Regional District of Mount Waddington in partnership with Ocean Legacy Foundation

RICHMOND, BC (February 1, 2023) – Ocean Legacy Foundation (“Ocean Legacy”), a non-profit organization that develops and implements worldwide plastic pollution response programs with the goal to end ocean plastic pollution, today announced that in partnership with the Regional District of Mount Waddington (“RDMW”), they have opened a new Ocean Plastic Depot at 7 Mile Landfill & Recycling Centre, located on Highway 19 between Port McNeill and the Port Alice junction. This ocean plastic diversion program is made possible through funding from the Ghost Gear Fund and Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The 7 Mile Ocean Plastics Depot will accept materials from shoreline, ocean and industrial cleanup efforts from the marine sector and the local community, providing essential infrastructure to divert these plastic resources from landfills and reduce ocean pollution.!

“Ocean Legacy is excited to launch this opportunity to reduce the pollution in our coastal communities and protect our precious marine environments,” said Chloé Dubois, Executive Director, Ocean Legacy Foundation. “This development continues to enhance our growing capacity to capture wasted plastics, divert them from landfills, and repurpose the materials in a way that fuels innovative manufacturing technologies, which support the Canadian plastic circular economy.” !

The 7 Mile Ocean Plastic Depot accepts materials such as abandoned, lost, discarded fishing gear (“ALDFG”), marine debris, and equipment including netting and rope, polystyrene foam (styrofoam), hard plastic and select buoys. Materials collected at the depot is sent to the Ocean Legacy processing centre at Steveston Harbour, BC, where it is further sorted, cleaned, and recycled.

“We are really excited about our partnership with Ocean Legacy and the creation of the Ocean Plastics Depot at 7-Mile Landfill,” said Andrew Hory, Chair of the Regional District of Mount Waddington. “This program enables the RDMW to build on our collection and recycling efforts by adding ocean plastics to the list. Removing plastic wastes from our oceans and shorelines, then collecting them locally, directly benefits the environmental health of our community.”

The 7 Mile Ocean Plastics Depot will be the fourth depot of its kind in British Columbia, with others located in Powell River, Ucluelet, and Cumberland and developments underway in Prince Rupert and the Lower Sunshine Coast. The program forms part of Ocean Legacy Foundation’s national strategy in addressing plastic pollution by creating end of life solutions for ALDGF and marine plastics while developing the plastic circular economy.

To register to use the 7-Mile Landfill Ocean Plastics Depot, email 7miledepot@oceanlegacy.ca or visit https://oceanplasticdepot.ca for more information.

About Ocean Legacy Foundation

Initiated in 2013, Ocean Legacy Foundation is a Canadian, internationally recognized, non-profit organization that develops and implements worldwide plastic pollution emergency response programs, with the goal to end plastic pollution. Ocean Legacy Foundation combines sustainable technologies, education, and skills training to convert plastic pollution into economic value while providing local communities with the tools they need to prevent plastic pollution and protect their local environment. 

Ocean Legacy Foundation’s EPIC Plastic Pollution Emergency Response™ program is a four-pillar approach to identify, cleanup, and prevent plastic waste from entering tributary and marine ecosystems. The four pillars are Education & Research, Policy & Advocacy, Infrastructure Development, and Cleanup & Restoration (“EPIC”). The purpose of EPIC is to create an accessible platform to assist with the restoration of critical natural ecosystems for improved human and wildlife health, as well as assess and develop long-term plastic collection, processing infrastructure and policy to mitigate oceanic plastic pollution sources. Ocean Legacy Foundation has collected over two million pounds of plastic waste from over 1000 kilometers of shoreline around the world and have engaged hundreds of thousands of individuals in plastic pollution cleanup, education, and recycling activities. For more information visit www.oceanlegacy.ca.