Fisk Johnson is Shining a Spotlight on the Global Plastic Crisis

As Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson has said many times, no one organization created the problem of ocean plastic, and no one can solve it alone. Rather, it will take significant effort and innovation from business, government, NGOs and individuals.

Over the last year, Fisk has been helping to raise awareness of this growing crisis and potential solutions through social media and speaking engagements. He has engaged with international scientists, marine biologists, environmental organizations and people in communities affected by plastic pollution.

A lifelong diver, Fisk has seen ocean plastic firsthand and believes everyone needs to know about its devastating impact on marine life and ocean ecosystems.

He has traveled to see where plastic waste collects on beaches and how it flows from waterways into the ocean, and shared work being done to address this. In a visit to Liberia, he was inspired by the passion of young people who want to solve the problem. In the Philippines and Panama, he visited innovative programs tackling waste.

Ocean plastic starts long before our oceans. And while the evidence of ocean plastic can be seen in waterways in countries around the globe, sometimes it’s the smallest things that lead to the biggest environmental problems.

That’s why this year Fisk also met with the global conservation organization Ocean Wise. He talked with Dr. Peter S. Ross, an ecotoxicologist and leading marine pollution expert, to understand the pervasiveness of microplastics and their impact on the health of ocean ecosystems.

According to Dr. Ross, wastewater treatment systems can remove approximately 95 to 97 percent of solid waste, but the waste that remains in the treated water can slip into the oceans. Much of the plastic waste making it through wastewater treatment systems is plastic fibers that come from clothing and home laundry. These microplastics, which are often invisible, are a large contributor to the pollution that disrupts natural ecosystems.

One of SC Johnson’s plastic commitments is being a champion for curbside recycling of plastic film. It’s one of the most commonly used packaging and storage materials, from food packaging to Ziploc® brand bags. Yet recycling rates in the United States remain persistently low, largely because plastic film isn’t accepted in most people’s curbside recycling bins.

Film currently can be recycled at 18,000-plus commercial stores in the U.S., but it’s not typically processed by municipal recycling facilities. While most are able to process plastic film, they don't due to myths about plastic film recycling. SC Johnson is working to provide the facts.

But these misperceptions could also change with the adoption of curbside film recycling by more communities. For several years now, we’ve been actively engaging with municipal officials, public works agencies and material recovery facilities to promote the benefits of expanding recycling options for plastic film, and the value of the recycled material.

We’ve received interest from a number of communities and are close to finalizing our first pilot program in 2019. We’re hopeful we can help this type of recycling expand, enabling the U.S. to catch up to other countries in Europe that have a more circular economy for plastic film.

Plastic pollution affects everyone, and Fisk has been able to use his social media channels to reach millions of people about this topic. From tours of Plastic Bank collection centers to Q&As about microplastics, Fisk is leading a dialogue that is reaching and engaging people around the globe. 

He also uses social media to talk about other social and environmental issues that SC Johnson is working to support, including forest protection and mosquito-borne disease prevention. Follow Fisk at Twitter.com/hfiskjohnson.