20 bright spots, milestones and actions from a universally difficult year

With a new year well underway and the pandemic still far from over, it’s tempting to wish for a return to normalcy. But what is “normal”? For decades, humankind has been on the wrong path — that’s why we started Parley. The devastating events of the last year put the consequences of our disconnect from nature, one another and truth into perspective.

2020 showed us how much we’ve yet to confront, learn, unlearn and root out. It sent us record-breaking evidence of our planet-warming emissions, plastic-polluting legacy, and warnings of what happens when we fail to take care of each other and lose sight of our true role within the ecosystem that allows for our existence. 2020 also showed us what we are capable of: compassion, imagination, resilience, change.

Together we have seen how quickly and drastically a pandemic can upheave the status quo, and how interconnected, interdependent and vulnerable we really are. Now we are challenged to transform ourselves and our world, reconnect with nature and redesign our society and economy in a way that can actually support our continued survival, our shared future. We need to move from a path of ignorance and exploitation to one of creativity, collaboration and eco-innovation. We need solutions and a Material Revolution. And we need each other to make them happen.

It will take unprecedented levels of collaboration to dismantle and reinvent harmful systems, beat this pandemic and end the threats of climate change, plastic pollution and the social injustices they reveal. But another lesson from history is the power of individual action as the driving force of any cause.

As we head into this future-defining decade on our common home, we are more grateful than ever for our growing network and community of partners, collaborators, volunteers and supporters working every day to make a difference. We are also more humbled than ever by the reality of the uphill battle still ahead of us.

On behalf of the entire Parley crew, thank you for everything you do — from global campaigns, to beach cleanups, to virtual gatherings and the small steps you take in your everyday life. It all adds up and makes the difference. Below is some of the proof.

1 — 250,000 VOLUNTEERS

More than a quarter million volunteers all across the globe have now taken action with Parley. That’s 252,983 change-makers and more than 750 collaborating NGOs coming together with a common goal: protecting what we love – the oceans.

2 — 30 COUNTRIES

Our Global Cleanup Network has now made an impact in 30 countries and counting, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Chile, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Kiribati, Maldives, Mexico, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, the US mainland and Hawaii.

3 — 170,000 OCEAN LEARNERS

Over 36,180 individuals participated in Parley Education initiatives throughout 2020, most of which were held virtually. Since launching our education programs, Parley teams have led hundreds of educational sessions, reaching creators, thinkers and leaders across generations, borders and oceans.

4 — 4,500 CLEANUPS COMPLETED

Every piece of trash removed from any environment is a win, and every one of our more than 4,500 cleanups is a chance to spread awareness and collect data that informs solutions at the source. We’re grateful for the collaboration of our NGO network and the volunteers who work daily to protect their beaches and communities against the impacts of marine plastic pollution.

5 — FIVE YEARS OF ADIDAS X PARLEY

In 2020, we celebrated a half decade of partnership with adidas with a look back at our milestone achievements, the launch of Primeblue made with Ocean Plastic®, and renewed commitments to end plastic waste. Since becoming the first partner to adopt our Parley AIR Strategy, adidas has driven eco-innovation at all levels of the supply chain and created a global oceans movement through the power of sport. Read more here.

6 — 14 MILLION SQUARE METERS CLEANED WITH CORONA X PARLEY

Through the Corona x Parley partnership, over 65,000 volunteers have taken action through cleanups, education initiatives and Parley AIR implementation as we worked towards our goal of 100 islands protected against marine plastic pollution. To date, Corona x Parley have accomplished over 1,848 cleanups on coastlines and islands, with 579 cleanups in 2020 resulting in 14,438,046 sq. meters cleaned.

7 — CONTINUED COMMITMENTS TO #BACKOUROCEANS

Amex x Parley continued the work to #BackOurOceans through the Parley AIR Strategy, including a series of expeditions to remote and hard-to-reach stretches of Cape Bedford along Australia’s Cape York Peninsula, a region that borders the Great Barrier Reef. Our 2019 social media campaign was recognized with a Shorty Award, and the first-ever payment card made with Ocean Plastic® received an Élan Award for innovation.

8 — PARLEY AIR IN SOUTH ASIA

In 2020, Parley gained the support and partnership of The World Bank and South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP), forming an alliance which will implement our UN-endorsed Parley AIR Strategy in an international collaboration to fight plastic pollution reaching major river systems. The “Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia” project will drive action in 8 nations across South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives (our first Future Island Nation), Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

9 — A STRONGER GLOBAL CLEANUP NETWORK

Faced with new obstacles and restrictions, our Global Cleanup Network pivoted operations and incorporated new safety protocols to continue and expand our work around the world. When cleanups weren’t possible, our country team leaders shifted the focus to organize and support new projects, including collaborative online courses in ocean health and Environmental Racism, awareness-raising films, small-group expeditions and more. In Brazil, a crew of 8 women united on a sail boat to take action and explore solutions through the Parley AIR Strategy. Parley Argentina researched plastic reaching remote wilderness in Patagonia. Parley Mexico led collaborative cleanups to protect mangroves and cenotes. Parley Chile worked with communities to remove plastic waste from Rapa Nui and fishing debris from the remote Chiloé Archipelago (watch our IGTV film about Detif Island). In the North Pacific, Parley Hawaii carried out high impact missions across the island chain, intercepting over 100,000 lbs of marine plastic pollution to date.⁠ Explore our country programs here.

10 — 3000+ miles across the United States

To raise awareness of the global marine plastic pollution crisis, Parley collaborator and Make a Change World Co-founder Sam Bencheghib ran from New York City to Los Angeles, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, wearing adidas x Parley shoes made from Ocean Plastic®. His journey lasted 191 days from July 2019 to February 2020, and covered a distance of 3,055 total miles — like running 117 consecutive marathons across 13 states. Sam ran an average of 23 miles a day for 145 days. During the 46 days when he wasn’t running, he was engaging with local communities, meeting face-to-face with 10,000 people along his route to discuss the impacts of plastic pollution.

11 — A MISSION TO REWILD

In partnership with Talisker, we launched Rewild Our Seas — a global mission to help restore and protect underwater forests along coastlines. Together, we’ll support the preservation and protection of 100 million square meters of marine ecosystems around the world by 2023. Learn more here.

12 — SUPPORT FROM AND FOR THE ARTS

Extended reality platform Vortic and 12 leading contemporary art galleries (Sadie Cole HQ, Corvi-Mora, König Galerie, Kasmin, Sean Kelly, Andrew Kreps, Sprüth Magers, Victoria Miro, Pace, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Almine Rech, and Esther Schipper) joined forces to raise funds for our Global Cleanup Network through Parley Collective, a series of virtual art exhibitions. Artists Julio Le Parc and Nigel Cooke contributed works in support of the cause, and collaborators of our Parley Ocean Bags Artists Series now include Bhakti Kher, David LaChapelle, Peter Schuyff, Katharina Grosse, Tobias Rehberger, Doug Aitken, Walton Ford, Jenny Holzer, Pipilotti Rist, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, and Rosemarie Trockel. Photographers Inez and Vinoodh also included Parley as a charity partner on their new cash-gifting platform, Double Dutch, empowering individuals to support good causes alongside the arts.

13 — PROTECTING FRONTLINE WORKERS

Harnessing the power of eco-innovation, we helped equip medical professionals on the frontlines with PPE in collaboration with Heroes and Nagami, 3D-printing face shields from Ocean Plastic®. Together we were able to robotically print 500 face shields a day, or one every five minutes.

14 — A MATERIAL REVOLUTION IN THE FASHION WORLD

Parley joined Biofabricate and Fashion For Good to co-host the virtual launch of their report, “Understanding ‘Bio’ Material Innovations”, a primer for the fashion industry to support much-needed standards for the fast-growing, confusing and heavily nuanced landscape of biomaterials. We also launched a partnership with the British Fashion Council, joining their Institute for Positive Fashion, and formed and announced new alliances creating change through the use of Ocean Plastic®.

15 — MORE SYMBOLS OF CHANGE

Ocean Plastic®, our range of eco-innovative materials made from intercepted and upcycled marine plastic waste, are used to replace virgin plastics in industries from finance to high fashion. Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) joined the movement and created the Convego Parley Ocean Card. The British Fashion Council created their 2020 awards from Ocean Plastic®, Jide Osifeso and Byborre incorporated our materials into performance textiles, and Iris van Herpen brought ocean waste to the haute couture runway in her latest collection, Roots of Rebirth.

16 — SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL GOALS

Togetherband and Parley teamed up in support of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, creating Editions for Peace bands made from 100% Parley Ocean Plastic® and introducing a new black band representing all 17 goals. All proceeds from the band representing Goal 14, Life Below Water, support vital ocean conservation initiatives.

17 — EYES ON THE HIGH SEAS

Award-winning journalist, New York Times contributor, best-selling author and Parley Collaborator Ian Urbina broke the story of the world’s largest illegal fishing fleet, working with Global Fishing Watch and an international team of academics to document by satellite some 800 Chinese squid fishing vessels that had been operating with impunity in violation of UN sanctions off the coast of North Korea. Ian’s work exposed the fleet’s deadly toll on people and marine life, and brought to light the urgent need for collaborative action to better police and protect the ocean. Learn more about his in-depth investigation here and subscribe to The Outlaw Ocean Project newsletter here. For more ocean news delivered to your inbox, the Parley State of the Oceans series is now a newsletter. Sign up here.

18 — PARLEY IN SOUTH AFRICA

A Parley AIR Station and Ocean School is now open in Hout Bay, South Africa. The program is led by pro surfer Frank Solomon in collaboration with local NGO Sentinel Ocean. Meanwhile, the Parley Litterboom team has worked hard on new installations and cleanups to address plastic debris flowing in the Umgemi River near Durban. Since December 21st, the team has intercepted 221 silo bags worth of debris, totaling around 9000 lbs. More on our work here.

19 — A NEW SERIES OF PARLEY TALKS

When the pandemic brought the first wave of lockdowns, we launched a series of ‘Parley LIVE’ discussions, virtual chats where collaborators and speakers reflect candidly on the pandemic, plastics, the climate crisis, and what we can and must do to learn from all the above. The talks have featured: oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson, artist Doug Aitken, big wave surfer Greg Long, activist and hip hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and sailor Boris Herrmann, who just completed the Vendée Globe.

20 — A NEW GENERATION RISING UP

Ocean Uprise is a creative activism community — created by youth, for youth — where passionate young leaders from around the world come together to learn, connect and collaborate on innovative solutions to protect our oceans. The team met remotely throughout 2020 to help steer the future of Ocean Uprise and plan a series of virtual talks. Our January session kicked off with the story of surfer, photographer and shark advocate survivor Mike Coots, followed by a February talk on “Creating Your Own Narrative” led by Martina Duran, Danielle Black Lyons and Chelsea Woody of Textured Waves. Young activists can apply to join Ocean Uprise here.