Parley Foundation

Parley Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on addressing major threats towards the oceans, including plastic pollution and other harmful impacts. The Foundation operates through an "Avoid, Intercept, Redesign" (AIR) strategy aimed at avoiding plastic consumption, intercepting plastic waste, and redesigning products and business models.

Through recent federal cooperative agreements from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program, Parley Foundation has implemented initiatives to reduce plastic waste and marine debris, particularly in coastal regions of Mexico. A $1.09 million award supported establishing a plastic waste reduction program onboarding 20 hospitality businesses in Holbox and Cozumel, Mexico to reduce their plastic waste by 50% and increase plastic awareness among 80% of area hotels and the majority of tourists. Another $1 million award funded conducting 16 ocean stewardship clinics for 250 underserved youth, hosting over 600 educational sessions reaching 30,000 individuals at a community hub, and upcycling 2,500 lbs of marine debris. Additionally, a $1.18 million award enabled implementing fishing gear collection, operating a nylon net upcycling station to repurpose 150,000 lbs of nets, engaging 1,300 fishers, conducting cleanups, and educating over 20,000 people to prevent 500,000 lbs of fishing gear and debris from entering the Gulf of Mexico and Mexican Caribbean.