From Fisherman to Innovator: A Journey to Combat Plastic Pollution

For over a decade I lived the life many of us watched on television: Deadliest Catch. 

While I might not have actually been a reality TV star, I was a commercial fisherman in the Pacific Northwest—a job I began as a teenager in order to pay for my education. Though I experienced weather and accidents that would cause many to shudder, I also got to see some of the most stunningly beautiful places on earth.

The natural beauty, however, was tainted by the sad reality of a growing amount of marine plastic debris. Following the Japan tsunami in 2011, Haida Gwaii, the northernmost island chain in British Columbia, was transformed into something reminiscent of “Mad Max.” Plastic waste was everywhere: the ocean, the beaches, and even in our fishing gear. Bottles, flip flops, plastic floats; you name it, we saw it (including a Harley Davidson motorcycle that was recovered off a beach). 

This stark contrast of splendor and waste prompted me to evaluate my impending university experience. I wanted to find a way to leverage an interest in economics and business with a desire to do something about the growing crisis of marine debris and plastic waste. 

I spent several years in strategy consulting, working in countries to create tools and businesses to stem the flow of plastic waste into the environment. Eventually, I found myself interviewing for a role at X, the moonshot factory, to tackle the plastic waste problem.

To be surrounded by some of the world’s brightest minds, with access to some of the most advanced tools, combating an existential threat to our world, is nothing short of a sustainability nerd's dream. During my time at X, we’ve collected data on tens of thousands of plastic samples around the world, devised new methods to address plastic waste challenges, and are now starting to bring our tools to life. At its core, our project is about making sure we best utilize the molecules our society already has in circulation, and not put them into the ground, oceans, or elsewhere. 

Today marks Earth Day 2024, and the theme resonates closely: Planet vs. Plastics. But this day is not different from any other for me: I’ve been living and breathing the plastics challenge for nearly two decades. That said, Earth Day is an important opportunity to recognize several truths: 

• First, although plastics aren’t necessary for all applications, there’s no future without them in some form. But it’s essential to reduce the amount of plastic waste we create—a whopping 75 percent of carbon emissions result from the creation of plastic polymers.

• Second, recycling is real: hardworking, dedicated people around the world work in this sector. As plastics have gotten more complex, however, they need more help, and this is something our team is trying to support. 

• Finally, we must unlock ways to recycle plastics in the least environmentally-impactful way by researching, supporting, and investing in options to make truly circular polymers.

Next month, our team is going back to where it all started for me: the Canada-Alaska border to work with Scott Farling and the Ocean Plastic Recovery Project, collecting plastics from the beaches and land, so this material has a fighting chance of making it back into the goods we use every day. While our efforts alone won’t solve the problem, the momentum building to conquer this fundamental issue is encouraging. I’m driven to pursue the fight against plastic waste in order to ensure future generations can enjoy a clean future.