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Save Our Seas Initiative

Ending Ocean Plastic Pollution

Global Initiative – 2022–Ongoing

The Save Our Seas Initiative is a USAID initiative to combat ocean plastic pollution globally. It includes 14 national and regional USAID programs in key countries and regions contributing to the flow of plastic waste into the ocean.

About the Save Our Seas Initiative

Ocean plastic pollution has reached crisis levels: every minute an entire garbage truck's worth of plastic enters the world's oceans—amounting to an alarming 11 million metric tons per year. This rate is expected to double by the end of this decade and triple by 2040. This deluge of plastic is threatening the world’s delicate marine ecosystems, global industries such as fishing and tourism, food security, and ultimately human health.

USAID launched the Save Our Seas Initiative in June 2022 with the goal of ending the flow of plastic pollution into the ocean by 2040. The Save Our Seas Initiative supports implementation of the landmark Save Our Seas Act 2.0 of 2020 - the comprehensive, bi-partisan legislation passed by Congress in December 2020 to conserve oceans at home and abroad. The Save Our Seas act instructed the State Department and USAID to develop strategies and implement programs to combat ocean plastic pollution.

Through the Save Our Seas Initiative USAID is implementing programs to reduce the flow of ocean plastic pollution in over 25 cities across more than 10 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. The countries and regions where USAID is working collectively represent approximately 40 percent of total global mismanaged plastic waste.

Once plastic is in the ocean, it is very difficult and expensive to remove. Thus, USAID focuses on stopping plastic from entering the ocean in the first place. Under the Save Our Seas Initiative, USAID is partnering with local and national governments, businesses, civil society and other organizations to improve solid waste management and help countries reduce, re-use, and recycle plastic.

Annual Reports

Save Our Seas Initiative Annual Report 2023–2024

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In the second year of the Save Our Seas Initiative, USAID accelerated the creation of new country partnerships and programs to fight ocean plastics. To date, the initiative has prevented the equivalent of more than 127 billion plastic bottles from polluting our environment.

New Alliance!

The CIRCLE Alliance

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The CIRCLE Alliance—Catalyzing Inclusive, Resilient, and Circular Local Economies—is a collaboration between the U.S. government and leading businesses to invest in solutions to reduce plastic use, tackle plastic waste, and drive the development of circular economies.

Featured Partnership

Our Programs

USAID SELARAS: Reducing Land-Based Sources of Ocean Plastic Pollution

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USAID SELARAS advances Indonesia’s development goals of reducing land-based sources of ocean plastics pollution and methane by promoting sustainable and integrated solid waste management and recycling systems in cities.

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USAID Press Release

USAID Commences 5-Year Ocean Plastics Reduction Project in Sri Lanka and Maldives

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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announces the official launch of a planned 5-year project in Sri Lanka and Maldives to reduce environmental plastics by decreasing industrial use of plastic and improving integrated solid waste management practices in Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Vietnam Action Against Plastic Pollution

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USAID’s Vietnam Action Against Plastic Pollution project furthers USAID’s global Save Our Seas initiative to combat ocean plastic. The project creates inclusive circular economies together with local and national governments, communities, and the private sector to reduce plastic pollution at its source.

Ocean Plastics Stories

Imagine a Sustainable Solution to Plastic: Clean Cities, Blue Ocean

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Lead USAID Ocean Plastics and Urban Advisor Clare Romanik explains how USAID is stopping plastics from entering the ocean in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and more.

News & Information

For More Information

Sustainable Urbanization

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Rapid urbanization is today’s defining development trend. When USAID was founded in 1961, roughly 34 percent of the world’s population lived in urban areas. By 2030, that figure will rise to over 60 percent as cities and towns become home to more than 1.4 billion additional people. Nearly all of this growth and movement will take place within the developing world, much of it in fragile states.