NextWave Grows Ocean-bound Plastics Supply Chain

Ocean plastic pollution is projected to triple by 2040, but a collaboration of multinational companies called NextWave, founded by nonprofit Lonely Whale and Dell Technologies, aims to change that trajectory. NextWave members—brands, recyclers, converters, and other plastic supply chain stakeholders—have collectively diverted 20,479 metric tons of plastic since 2017. That’s equal to 2.27 billion single-use water bottles.

The figure places NextWave at over 80 percent of its 2025 goal to divert 25,000 metric tons of ocean-bound plastic—which is typically defined as trash that’s within 50 kilometers (or 31 miles) from a water body.