Evaluating the Transformative Outcomes and (Transformative) Social Impacts of The Ocean Cleanup’s River Projects

Abstract

Plastic pollution greatly threatens all ecosystems, especially marine and freshwater environments. The Ocean Cleanup is an ambitious nonprofit organization focused on removing legacy plastic from oceans and, more recently, rivers. Such missions demand transformative change. To evaluate the transformative success of The Ocean Cleanup’s river deployments, this study utilizes transformative outcomes, a concept within the Transformation Innovation Policy (TIP) framework. The goals of this study are to identify the presence of transformative outcomes in the river deployments and derive recommendations based on these outcomes. An additional aspect of this study is to provide advice for how The Ocean Cleanup can also leverage the (transformative) social impacts of its river deployments. Overall, this research aims to promote The Ocean Cleanup’s progress towards its mission. Using a deductive, qualitative, and formative approach, this research assesses the transformative outcomes and social impacts across four of The Ocean Cleanup’s river deployments - the United States, Malaysia, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. The results reveal the importance of nurturing and building niches, expanding and mainstreaming niches, and expanding and unlocking regimes in achieving transformative success, although the latter process is less observed. Beyond this, the study highlights the influence of socio-technical contexts (place), types and number of solutions deployed (level), and timelines (time) on the transformation process itself. Additionally, this study provides insight into the role of The Ocean Cleanup as a non-state actor, showcasing its influence beyond local-level impacts. Lastly, community-focused activities and focus on cultural social change are key considerations for The Ocean Cleanup as it enhances its social scope.