RIO’s Mission

Restoring Integrity to the Oceans, Inc. is a diverse group intent on eliminating the plague of plastics from our ocean through reclamation, recycling, and education. Together, we will mitigate further plastic pollution and rid the oceans, beaches, and rivers of plastic concentrations around the world, develop new recycling opportunities to prevent plastic materials from entering the waste stream, and educate communities internationally on the tragedy occurring with plastic deposits in the Oceans.

About Our Vision

Our vision is to see the World’s oceans free of plastic and help ensure responsible use of plastic products in the world.

How does RIO collect ocean plastic?

RIO has proprietary technology to outfit dedicated vessels to collect plastic and waste in the deep ocean. Similarly, outfitted vessels could be mobilized as part of RIO’s emergency response fleet to capture high concentration wastes that are liberated during extreme storms and tsunamis.

Prevention & River Protection

While our core mission is to eliminate plastic waste in our oceans, the greatest threat to the oceans are the world’s major rivers. The vast majority of the plastic waste that is in the oceans comes from rivers. RIO has developed proprietary methods to facilitate the collection and removal of plastic waste from rivers. Efforts include a combination of deploying specifically developed equipment at strategic locations in rivers to capture and remove plastic waste with support and maintenance of this equipment to secure and recycle the plastic waste material. River collection systems are designed with excluders to prevent harming, or worse, unnecessary killing of fish and marine life while they are deployed.

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RIO organizes cleanups on beaches that have been subject to a gross collection of waste as a result of years of neglect and the use and misuse of plastic products all around the world.

Recycling:

There are 7 types of plastic; however, only 3 or 4 types can be economically recycled using traditional methods, depending on the chemical makeup and recycling technique. Additionally, contamination further prevents much of the collected plastic material from use in recycling. Thus, only 9% of plastic produced globally is recycled.

Because the ocean has all types of plastic (especially the dreaded single use plastics) that are mostly in poor/contaminated condition, RIO is committed to recycle all types of plastic using creative and innovative methods. While RIO is developing products that use recycled material we collect form the more easily recycled materials, we are also engaging multiple methods that can produce viable products using any type of plastic in practically any condition.

With increased uses for plastic and export/import bans on plastic waste that exist throughout the world, there is a growing need to locally recycle more plastic waste in more robust ways

Education & Waste Management:

The first step to eliminating plastic in our oceans is better waste management. We can never achieve plastic-free oceans if we don’t stop overwhelming landfills and uncontrolled dumping. The story of plastic waste in our oceans begins with poor waste management. Unsurprisingly, the countries that contribute the most to marine waste have the greatest struggle with waste management. There are waste management and recycling methods that result in near zero landfill deposits. RIO can partner with local and regional governments to help implement improved waste management programs.

There are many ways to avoid plastic in our oceans. Minimizing uses, improving recycling and more responsible handling. RIO encourages better plastic management at every level.