Why Project One Wave Matters
- elven villecourt
- Jun 18
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Let’s face it—if we want to take on the plastic crisis, it’s going to take more than heroic individuals. This isn’t a story where one brave soul slays the dragon. The monster we face is made of fossil fuels, profit margins, and systemic neglect. It’s reinforced by billion-dollar industries—from petrochemicals to industrial fishing—that are united in their addiction to exploitation. They pollute, then look away. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces.
The Problem: Plastic Pollution and the Ghosts in Our Oceans
Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic enter the oceans. It doesn’t just vanish. It breaks down into microplastics that poison marine life and climb the food chain—straight to our plates. But some of the most dangerous threats don’t break down at all.
Ghost nets—lost or abandoned fishing gear—drift through the ocean, killing indiscriminately. These nets continue to trap fish, seals, dolphins, seabirds, and whales long after they’ve been discarded. They are a silent killer, strangling life beneath the surface, entangling reefs, and washing up on coastlines.
Despite the scale of the damage, the burden of cleanup falls not on those who cause it, but on communities, volunteers, and small NGOs. We—everyday people—are paying to clean up what the corporate giants leave behind.
The Response: A Rising Tide of Collective Action
But there’s something powerful happening.
Across the UK, people are rising. In just the past three months, Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK volunteers removed over 4,000 kg of trash across 25 beach cleans, engaging 387 members of the public. Seaschell’s ‘Ghost Net 1000’ campaign pulled 1,000 kg of ghost nets from Scotland’s coast. And countless others—grassroots groups, small ethical businesses, NGO—are quietly doing the same.
This is proof of what’s possible when people are moved by values deeper than profit—by love for the ocean, for wildlife, for future generations.
But if we want to scale this up, we need more than isolated efforts.
We need to connect the dots.
Project One Wave is the rebranding and evolution of our Coastal Debris Campaign — with a fresher, catchier name and a stronger concept designed to attract and engage more people. It also opens the door to new collaborations with organisations and artists.
With One Wave, the Foundation is committed to investing more resources into the campaign, including a dedicated space specifically for it.
For now, aside from the new name and logo, not much has changed — our volunteers continue their amazing beach clean-ups and outreach. But behind the scenes, the gears are turning. This marks the beginning of a stronger movement to expand the campaign’s reach and impact over time
Teaming Up with Seaschell
Our partnership with Seaschell Clothing is proof of what’s possible when shared values drive collaboration. Seaschell has been nothing short of amazing—exceptional at connecting people, building momentum, and making things happen. They bring the speed and agility of a fast-moving business into the world of conservation, helping to accelerate change where it’s urgently needed. By joining forces, we’ve amplified each other’s impact—combining Seaschell’s dynamic network and powerful storytelling with the Paul Watson Foundation’s legacy of direct action and grassroots mobilisation.
From Cleanup to Collective Force: What It Means for the Coastal Debris Campaign to Evolve into One Wave
The Coastal Debris Campaign was built on action—dozens of beach cleans, tonnes of plastic removed, and a growing network of people willing to get their hands dirty for the ocean. But over time, something became clear: we weren’t alone.
Across the UK and beyond, other groups were doing the same. Local heroes. Grassroots teams. Independent initiatives. Small businesses. Scientists. Activists. And yet—we weren’t always connected. Efforts overlapped. Solutions were siloed. And despite all the hard work, the plastic kept coming.
The Vision: Project One Wave
The partnership between the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK and Seaschell Clothing reminded us of something essential—the true power lies in team work. When we come together, we become unstoppable. Project One Wave was born from this simple idea: what if we brought everyone together? Uniting some of the UK’s most dedicated ocean protectors in the same room. And something amazing happened.
Connections sparked. Ideas flowed. A shared vision began to take shape.
What we’re building is more than a movement. It’s a blueprint—a practical, ambitious framework for tackling ocean waste at scale.
A Blueprint for Coastal Recovery
The goal of Project One Wave is to create a national coastal debris recovery and repurposing network—an open-source system that allows for measurable, strategic impact. That means:
Mapping hotspots of marine waste and ghost gear
Coordinating cleanups to maximise efficiency and reduce duplication
Connecting collectors with recyclers, designers, and repurposing specialists
Lobbying for policy changes that place the burden back on polluters
Developing sustainable economic pathways around recovery and reuse
Measuring our collective impact in tonnes removed, communities engaged, and ecosystems restored
This isn’t about creating a brand or building an empire. It’s about building a solution that anyone can use—from local beach clean organisers to national conservation networks.
Not Just Cleanups—System Change
We’re not here to make it easier for the plastic industry to keep polluting. We’re here to make it harder for them to ignore the consequences. We want to shift power from corporate boardrooms to community shorelines.
This is not just about removing plastic—it’s about removing the conditions that allow this crisis to exist. It’s about creating a circular system where nothing is wasted and no community is left carrying the cost alone.
What Comes Next?
More events. More coordination. More fire.
The first Project One Wave gathering felt like ignition. Being in a room full of people who genuinely care—who are already doing the work—was inspiring. The energy was real. And we need more of that. More often.
Because when we align, we amplify.
Not just cleaning beaches—reclaiming our oceans. Not just removing waste—redesigning the future.
Let’s build it. Together.
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