Washington International Coastal Cleanup Partners to Provide 3D Printed Limbs for Kids
NEAH BAY, Wash. (PRWEB) September 03, 2018 -- Million Waves Project, a non-profit whose mission to reclaim ocean plastic and turn it into 3D printed limbs for children around the world has teamed up with Washington CoastSavers and NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary for the International Coastal Cleanup September 15, 2018 from 10am-2pm at Hobuck Beach in Neah Bay located on Makah Indian Reservation. This event is part of a larger effort to clean up over fifty beaches along the Washington coast and Strait of Juan de Fuca organized by Washington CoastSavers.
Washington CoastSavers is an alliance of partners, including NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and volunteers dedicated to keeping the state’s beaches clean of marine debris through coordinated beach cleanups, education and prevention.
The three ocean-saving organizations plan to work together to close the loop on some of Washington’s thousands of pounds of plastic pollution collected each year. Washington CoastSavers’ most recent cleanup resulted in 18.8 tons of garbage collected by nearly 1,300 volunteers.
Million Waves Project will be collecting the plastic from the cleanups around Washington to process and use to 3D print prosthetic limbs. Million Waves hopes to start by processing the PET plastic (food and drink containers) which International Coastal Cleanup volunteers collect; cleaning, pulverizing, extruding, spooling and finally printing with the plastic.
Typically, much of the waste collected ends up in landfills or is sent to local recycling centers, but this project finds a home for the usable marine plastic and recreates it for good.
“It is amazing to work with Washington CoastSavers and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and watch things come full circle. The plastic that washes ashore and is collected by a group of passionate people will become something life-changing for a kid—it’s an incredible thing.” Says Laura Moriarity, COO of Million Waves.
Washington CoastSavers is looking forward to providing a place for the waste to go once collected.
Nicole Harris, Education Specialist with Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary says: “Closing the loop by reclaiming marine plastics is the ideal situation for the waste collected during our cleanups. It is so exciting to partner with Million Waves Project on this creative and thoughtful solution to our plastic pollution problem. Being able to provide a resource for such a good cause adds to the reward our volunteers feel in doing their already impactful work.”
The organizations are convening September 15 at Hobuck Beach in Neah Bay for the cleanup and to announce the partnership. Million Waves will have a plastic shredder on site to break down the debris found that day. The groups are hoping to see hundreds of volunteers turn out for the special event. Abbey McFerren of Kirkland, Washington, will be among the volunteers, she is one of the Million Waves Project limb recipients. She will be receiving a prototype limb during the event as well.
For more information and to volunteer for the event, register here: bit.ly/mwpcleanup
Volunteer Contact info: coordinator(at)coastsavers.org or 440-539-4212
Media is encouraged to attend beginning at 10:30am. Please contact millionwaves(at)gmail.com for details.
Laura Moriarity, Million Waves Project, +1 6126551418, [email protected]
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