UNESCO’s wildest marine sites are drowning in plastic. Bold missions to the edges of the ocean — where no one else goes, and where plastic should never be.

🌊 Plastic Is Everywhere

Every minute, 19 tons of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean.

Some of it drifts for years before washing up on the shores of the most remote, untouched places on Earth — including UNESCO Marine World Heritage Sites. These places were meant to be protected. Instead, they’ve become silent victims of a global crisis.

They are sacred.
They are fragile.
They are nearly impossible to reach.
That’s exactly why we go.

🧭 Who We Are

We’re a crew of explorers, scientists, engineers, and storytellers aboard a floating laboratory — the Plastic Odyssey ship. With low-tech ingenuity, deep field expertise, and support from UNESCO, we launch high-risk, high-impact cleanups in some of the planet’s most inaccessible marine zones.

These aren’t symbolic actions. They’re deeply strategic missions — designed to protect biodiversity, generate new science, and inspire global change.

🏛️ Official Mission in Partnership with UNESCO

Plastic Odyssey’s Impossible Cleanups are conducted under a formal cooperation agreement with UNESCO, aimed at protecting marine World Heritage Sites from the rising threat of plastic pollution. As part of this mission, we work in coordination with UNESCO to identify high-priority sites, conduct field operations with scientific oversight, and produce educational content and reports that amplify impact globally.

Thanks to this partnership, Plastic Odyssey receives institutional support to access fragile sites, engage local stakeholders, and highlight UNESCO’s environmental priorities through shared communication, education, and research.

🔬 Research 🧹 Restore 📣 Reshare

Each Impossible Cleanup mission is built around this three-part approach:

RESEARCH –We study how plastic pollution — especially microplastics and pathogens — affects species and ecosystems in “baseline” conditions. These sites are among the last places where true ecological reference points still exist.

RESTORE –We remove tons of waste with care — using hands, drones, or airlifts where needed. We sort and analyze the debris, and test what can be safely recycled on board using our mobile factory systems.

RESHARE –We document the process through film, photography, and education. From immersive exhibitions to classroom kits, we bring these forgotten places — and their stories — to the world.

🏝️ Where We’ve Been, Where We're Going

Henderson Island (2024) – Pitcairn Islands, South Pacific

One of the most plastic-polluted places on Earth — despite being uninhabited
First-ever waste airlift over coral reef
Scientific study of the plastisphere
In-depth documentation and educational content

🔗 henderson.plasticodyssey.org

Aldabra Atoll (2025) – Seychelles, Indian Ocean

One of Earth’s last coral sanctuaries — a “Living Ark” for marine life
Confirmed mission: scientific expedition, cleanup, and educational outreach
Regional programming across Seychelles, Mauritius, La Réunion, and Mayotte

What's Ahead – We’re preparing for future Impossible Cleanups at:

São Vicente & Santa Luzia (Cape Verde)
Midway Atoll
Alaska

Each site presents its own extremes — logistically, ecologically, and politically.

2024 Henderson Island Impossible Cleanup

💙 Your Gift Makes the Impossible, Possible

Your support fuels:

Access to isolated and protected marine sites
Field science, waste recovery, and safe disposal
Onboard recycling tests and lab research
Public awareness campaigns and youth engagement

This is what it means to act at the frontier of environmental restoration. Where the stakes are high, the logistics are brutal, and the mission is urgent.

Support Impossible Cleanups. Help restore Earth’s final sanctuaries — before they’re lost.

All donations to this page support Plastic Odyssey Fund’s RESTORE program, dedicated to cleanups across UNESCO Marine World Heritage Sites — wherever impact is greatest, and action is hardest.

Plastic Odyssey Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

🌊 The Impossible Cleanups: Defending UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Sites and Restoring Earth’s Final Sanctuaries

By Plastic Odyssey Fund

🌊 The Impossible Cleanups: Defending UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Sites and Restoring Earth’s Final Sanctuaries

UNESCO’s wildest marine sites are drowning in plastic. Bold missions to the edges of the ocean — where no one else goes, and where plastic should never be.