The Marine Plastics Ambassadors program focuses on providing participants with advocacy training and policy engagement opportunities.

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From rivers and lakes to coastal ecosystems, plastics continue to infiltrate the systems that sustain communities, wildlife, and economies around the world. To accelerate solutions, EarthEcho International—founded by explorer and ocean advocate Philippe Cousteau, Jr.—is launching its largest cohort of Marine Plastics Ambassadors, a growing national initiative funded by SC Johnson designed to empower young changemakers with the tools, training, and platforms needed to advance solutions that protect watersheds and ocean environments from plastic waste.

The Marine Plastics Ambassadors program equips participants with advocacy training and leadership development to address plastic pollution at its source. Through mentorship and hands-on policy engagement, Ambassadors will work to drive scalable solutions, tailored to their home communities, that reduce plastic waste and strengthen environmental protections nationwide.

"Young people recognize their own power and agency and are engaging with policy makers to affect positive change. The Marine Plastics Ambassadors are leading the way, and EarthEcho is proud to build a community of practice that empowers them to change the world." Philippe Cousteau.

"It's encouraging to see young people stepping forward to help tackle this important issue," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "As a company, we advocate for smart government regulation as a crucial tool in tackling the plastic waste crisis. We're pleased to partner with EarthEcho to support this next generation of leaders in their advocacy efforts."

Visit earthecho.org/plastics-ambassadors to meet the 2026 Marine Plastics Ambassadors, who will have the opportunity to come together this summer in Washington, D.C., to advance their policy priorities, engage with legislators and demonstrate the power of youth-driven solutions to reduce plastic pollution.

Marine Plastic Pollution Facts

• Over 430 million tons of plastic are produced around the globe each year - two thirds of which are single-use plastics, designed to be used once or for a few minutes and then thrown away (OECD, 2022).
  
  
• Approximately 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enters oceans annually (the equivalent of a garbage truck load of plastic every minute) with estimates of that number nearly tripling by 2040 (Pew Charitable Trusts, 2020).
  
  
• Plastic litter and resulting microplastics have devastating effects on marine ecosystems (UNEP, 2021). Microplastics can now be found throughout the food chain, including within humans (WHO, 2022).

For more information, visit www.earthecho.org/plastics-ambassadors and follow us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/earthecho
Instagram: @EarthEcho
LinkedIn: @earthecho-international  

For information about EarthEcho International, please visit www.earthecho.org.

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SOURCE EarthEcho International