- Environmental Conservation ·
Emergency Response: Tackling a Plastic Ocean
We have littered our oceans with plastic, now we need to save the ocean and clean up before it dies
- Global Oceans
- hello@actionchange.org
Project Summary
Project Challenge
Project Solution
Impact
Reports
Project Summary
The United Nations calls our oceans “the lungs of the earth”, which is why it is so essential for us to develop sustainably so that we do not suffer in the future, unfortunately, at current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050 and if we don’t act now the damage could be irreversible. This project aims to create awareness among local communities around the globe as well as funding clean-up and research initiatives to help keep our oceans and it’s species healthy and free from plastic.
Project Challenge
Plastic is still a huge part of daily life around the world and we know that at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. 2050 we are told that the Sea will be home to more plastic than fish and this is why this project is critical to the future of our planet. We only have one planet and one chance to act.
We’re surrounded by plastic. It’s in the single-use packaging we discard, the consumer goods that fill our stores, and in our clothing, which sheds micro-plastic fibres in the wash. Plastics pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife and every year thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed after ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it. The greatest challenge is the lack of knowledge on the effects of plastic pollution on our planet.
Project Solution
This project aims to provide education and inspire communities to engage in plastic waste management solutions. The more communities who engage and take control of their environment, the more successful our chances of keeping the ocean clean will become. By giving people the know-how we can curb the issue at the source but we also understand the need to fund beach and reef clean-ups to mitigate the effects of the plastic that hasn’t been dealt with.
Impact
Our goal is to by 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution according to UN SDG 14 (Life Below Water), we will do this by providing awareness and education to communities especially located near the coast as well as to conduct beach clean-ups, reef dive cleanups. We hope that by educating communities and cleaning up the plastic that is already in/near the ocean we can keep our oceans clean.
Reports
Project Report | Mar 9, 2026
Plastic Food For Loggerhead Turtles
By Tyrone Bennett |Â CEO of Action Change
To our dedicated Ocean Guardians,
I wanted to share an update on a project that is literally fighting for the survival of the next generation of our oceans. As we celebrate 20 years of Action Change, our work with Loggerhead sea turtles off the South African coastline is reaching a critical point.
First, let’s talk about these incredible creatures. Loggerheads are nature’s engineers. Named for their oversized heads and powerful jaws, they are perfectly built to crush heavy-shelled prey like crabs and sea urchins. They are also world-class travelers; hatchlings born on our northern beaches enter the powerful Agulhas Current, beginning a massive journey that spans oceans. But this journey has become increasingly dangerous.
The Rising Crisis
As we head into the peak of the season, we are seeing a worrying trend. Every year, more hatchlings are washing up on the Western Cape beaches, exhausted and sick. Last year alone, we rescued over 250 of them. Why? Because the ocean they enter is now filled with plastic, which they mistake for food, and “ghost gear”—discarded fishing nets that can trap them, preventing them from surfacing to breathe.
If you find a hatchling washed up, please know this: never put it back in the ocean. These little fighters are often suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, or internal blockages from plastic. If they go back into the water in that state, they won’t survive. They need professional help.
Our Action Plan
Right now, our team is in full “rescue mode”:
Outreach:Â We are patrolling the coastline, installing awareness signs, and sharing emergency contact numbers so locals know exactly what to do when they find a stranded turtle.
Turtle Ambassadors:Â We have a network of volunteers along the coast who respond instantly to reports, getting these turtles to our hospital as quickly as possible.
Rehab & Release: Once in our care, they undergo treatment—including complex diagnostics like MRIs to clear blockages and heal. After about six months of care, we release them back into the wild, equipped with satellite trackers.
Why We Track Them
Those trackers aren’t just for show. By collecting data on where these turtles go, we are contributing to a global scientific effort to protect their migratory paths and understand their survival rates.
This is where we need your help. This is our most expensive program because it is 100% funded by your donations. Between the specialized vet care, the long-term rehabilitation, and the satellite tracking technology, every single dollar is working overtime.
The United Nations calls our oceans “the lungs of the earth”, which is why it is so essential for us to develop sustainably so that we do not suffer in the future, unfortunately, at current rates plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050 and if we don’t act now the damage could be irreversible. This project aims to create awareness among local communities around the globe as well as funding clean-up and research initiatives to help keep our oceans and it’s species healthy and free from plastic.
Plastic is still a huge part of daily life around the world and we know that at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. 2050 we are told that the Sea will be home to more plastic than fish and this is why this project is critical to the future of our planet. We only have one planet and one chance to act.
We’re surrounded by plastic. It’s in the single-use packaging we discard, the consumer goods that fill our stores, and in our clothing, which sheds micro-plastic fibres in the wash. Plastics pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife and every year thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed after ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it. The greatest challenge is the lack of knowledge on the effects of plastic pollution on our planet.
This project aims to provide education and inspire communities to engage in plastic waste management solutions. The more communities who engage and take control of their environment, the more successful our chances of keeping the ocean clean will become. By giving people the know-how we can curb the issue at the source but we also understand the need to fund beach and reef clean-ups to mitigate the effects of the plastic that hasn’t been dealt with.
Our goal is to by 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution according to UN SDG 14 (Life Below Water), we will do this by providing awareness and education to communities especially located near the coast as well as to conduct beach clean-ups, reef dive cleanups. We hope that by educating communities and cleaning up the plastic that is already in/near the ocean we can keep our oceans clean.
Project Report | Mar 9, 2026
Plastic Food For Loggerhead Turtles
By Tyrone Bennett |Â CEO of Action Change
To our dedicated Ocean Guardians,
I wanted to share an update on a project that is literally fighting for the survival of the next generation of our oceans. As we celebrate 20 years of Action Change, our work with Loggerhead sea turtles off the South African coastline is reaching a critical point.
First, let’s talk about these incredible creatures. Loggerheads are nature’s engineers. Named for their oversized heads and powerful jaws, they are perfectly built to crush heavy-shelled prey like crabs and sea urchins. They are also world-class travelers; hatchlings born on our northern beaches enter the powerful Agulhas Current, beginning a massive journey that spans oceans. But this journey has become increasingly dangerous.
The Rising Crisis
As we head into the peak of the season, we are seeing a worrying trend. Every year, more hatchlings are washing up on the Western Cape beaches, exhausted and sick. Last year alone, we rescued over 250 of them. Why? Because the ocean they enter is now filled with plastic, which they mistake for food, and “ghost gear”—discarded fishing nets that can trap them, preventing them from surfacing to breathe.
If you find a hatchling washed up, please know this: never put it back in the ocean. These little fighters are often suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, or internal blockages from plastic. If they go back into the water in that state, they won’t survive. They need professional help.
Our Action Plan
Right now, our team is in full “rescue mode”:
Outreach:Â We are patrolling the coastline, installing awareness signs, and sharing emergency contact numbers so locals know exactly what to do when they find a stranded turtle.
Turtle Ambassadors:Â We have a network of volunteers along the coast who respond instantly to reports, getting these turtles to our hospital as quickly as possible.
Rehab & Release: Once in our care, they undergo treatment—including complex diagnostics like MRIs to clear blockages and heal. After about six months of care, we release them back into the wild, equipped with satellite trackers.
Why We Track Them
Those trackers aren’t just for show. By collecting data on where these turtles go, we are contributing to a global scientific effort to protect their migratory paths and understand their survival rates.
This is where we need your help. This is our most expensive program because it is 100% funded by your donations. Between the specialized vet care, the long-term rehabilitation, and the satellite tracking technology, every single dollar is working overtime.
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- Environmental Conservation ·