Universal Plastic is now an EMODnet Associated Partner

Universal Plastic has been officially approved as an EMODnet Associated Partner, part of the European Marine Observation and Data Network. Our organisation is now listed in the official EMODnet Associated Partners directory, along with a description of our work and our logo.

This is a step towards connecting our experience in recording plastic pollution with a community working to make marine knowledge more accessible and useful.

Representatives of Universal Plastic and EMODnet at a meeting.

EMODnet is a European initiative that provides open access to data, metadata and information products about the marine environment. Its portal brings together information on areas such as biodiversity, water chemistry, seabed habitats and human activities.

Its work is based on the FAIR principles: data that can be found, accessed, combined with other data and reused. These principles matter because ocean challenges cannot be understood from a single source of information. Connecting observations from different places and contexts can help researchers, institutions and organisations make better-informed decisions.

At Universal Plastic, we work to turn environmental information into evidence that helps us understand and reduce the impact of plastic pollution on ecosystems, the economy and society.

Through our app, we digitise collection activities and observations of plastic waste. Depending on each record, we collect information such as the date, the location, the weight of plastic collected and photographic evidence. In this way, citizen participation and technology help document what happens on the ground.

Every record tells part of the story. When that data is well documented and can be responsibly linked to other sources, it can also contribute to a broader view of the challenges affecting our seas and coasts.

A volunteer uses the app to record a piece of plastic waste on the beach.

As an Associated Partner, Universal Plastic joins a network that promotes dialogue and knowledge exchange around marine data. For us, this is a starting point: an opportunity to learn, share good practices and explore new ways of collaborating.

Among the lines of work we are exploring are the possible contribution of relevant marine and coastal litter records to EMODnet’s data flows, and the reuse of open marine data to put local observations in context, within our data space and Blue Resilience OS. In this process, quality, metadata, licensing and interoperability will be essential.

We have already started a technical dialogue through the EMODnet Helpdesk to understand the requirements and possible ways to contribute. This work is at an exploratory stage: the partnership does not mean our data is already integrated into EMODnet.

Volunteers with their phones and Universal Plastic bags during a collection.

Plastic pollution is a shared challenge that requires observation, collaboration and knowledge. Being part of EMODnet’s network of associated partners lets us keep working towards a common goal: making marine data easier to find, understand and use. It is one more step in our commitment to connecting data with networks such as ODIS y con el UN Ocean Decade.

We thank the EMODnet team for the welcome and the opportunity to take part in this community. We will keep exploring how to connect local action with broader, more accessible ocean knowledge.