At the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, Unesco and the Plastic Odyssey expedition have announced a partnership aimed at restoring the world’s most endangered marine World Heritage sites, increasingly under threat from plastic pollution.
Drawing inspiration from a successful 2024 clean-up on Henderson Island in the South Pacific – during which 9.3 tonnes of plastic waste were removed – the organisations plan to replicate the operation at 50 Unesco-listed marine sites worldwide, in an agreement signed on Tuesday, 10 June.
"Thanks to this new partnership, Plastic Odyssey and Unesco will act together to reduce plastic pollution in marine World Heritage sites," said Audrey Azoulay, director general of Unesco, during her address in the Whale Hall at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, also took part in the signing ceremony, underlining France’s commitment to the initiative.
Plastic Odyssey sets off on round-the-world mission to fight marine pollution
Community impact
Each mission will focus on a four-pronged approach: waste removal, scientific research, education and the development of sustainable, income-generating recycling systems.
The initiative aims to address both environmental degradation and local socio-economic challenges, with Azoulay saying: "These expeditions will also help create recycling systems that benefit local and indigenous communities."
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The next field mission is scheduled for October at the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. A team from Plastic Odyssey and Unesco will carry out a scouting operation to map plastic waste, test extraction methods and establish monitoring protocols – setting the stage for full-scale operations starting in 2026.
"This marks a turning point in the fight against ocean plastic," said Simon Bernard, co-founder and president of Plastic Odyssey. "These sites are ecological treasures, and plastic traps. It’s time to bring global attention and resources to places the world can’t afford to ignore."
The Plastic Odyssey expedition left France more than two years ago with the objective of finding ways to reduce marine plastic pollution in the 30 countries most affected.
The NGO is now seeking €50 million to fund this new initiative with Unesco over the next decade.
