Urban Ocean® is a capacity-building and accelerator program to end ocean plastic pollution and build more resilient communities in cities.
11
Million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean every year
While awareness of the problem of marine debris has increased rapidly over the past few years, there is still a considerable gap in understanding and implementation of realistic solutions.
Urban Ocean is a first-of-its-kind initiative which aims to achieve system transformation by working with leading cities and partners willing to invest in change at scale.
Areas of Action
Urban Ocean has developed a proof-of-concept that combines scientific baseline assessment methodology by Dr. Jenna Jambeck with project identification and prioritization.
1
Peer Network
Collaboration
2
Circularity
Assessment Protocol
3
Project Strategy
Development
From Challenge to Innovation
Our 3rd cohort is harnessing local insights to unlock scalable solutions—proving that transformative change starts from the ground up.
Participating Cities
Bangkok
Can Tho
Chennai
Melaka
Mumbai
Panama City
Pune
Salvador
Santa Fe
Santiago
Semarang
Surat
Mentor Cities
Christchurch
Milan
Rotterdam
Toyama
Vejle
Urban Ocean Partners
Other Funding Partners
Program Resources
City Opportunity Booklet
The following opportunities have been identified by city stakeholders, in close collaboration with the Urban Ocean program, as high-impact solutions for multiple challenges. These opportunities have been carefully analyzed and prioritized to address the ocean plastic waste issue while building equitable, sustainable, and resilient cities.
Urban Ocean Toolkit
Learn more about the rich body of information and tools to support Urban Ocean cities we have developed with this interactive toolkit. It is our hope that this will help additional communities build clean, healthy cities for clean, healthy seas.
City Publications
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok aims to reduce plastic leakage and landfill dependency by advancing waste separation, composting, and digital traceability in canal-side communities. The project focuses on empowering local actors to scale community-led recycling and protect the city’s waterways.
Can Tho, Vietnam
Can Tho aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards enhancing the city’s river waste management and recycling facilities.
Read Can Tho’s Project Statement
Chennai, India
Chennai aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards bringing circularity in the city’s solid waste management.
Melaka, Malaysia
Melaka aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards creating clean river and coastal areas and enhancing the city’s recycling infrastructure.
Read Melaka’s Project Statement
Read Melaka’s City Waste Management Profile
Mumbai, India
Mumbai aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards sustainable and circular waste management systems.
Read Mumbai’s Project Statement
Read Mumbai’s City Waste Management Profile
Panama City, Panama
Panama City aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards enhancing the recovery of recyclable material in the city.
Read Panama City’s Project Statement
Pune, India
Pune aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards supporting the transformation of energy and recovery materials.
Salvador, Brazil
Salvador seeks to enhance recycling capacity and reduce plastic leakage by formalizing the role of waste picker cooperatives. The project focuses on improving collection infrastructure and expanding inclusive, cooperative-led circular systems.
Santa Fe, Argentina
Santa Fe aims to strengthen its circular economy by developing local plastics reprocessing, launching community Sustainability Parks, and expanding Eco Punto drop-off sites. The project focuses on scaling low-tech, community-driven solutions to reduce waste leakage and landfill reliance.
Santiago, Chile
The Metropolitan Region of Santiago aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards tackling illegal dumping sites to build urban resilience.
Read Santiago’s Project Statement
Read Santiago’s City Waste Management Profile
Semarang, Indonesia
Semarang aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards adapting waste management models and inclusive waste governance.
Read Semarang’s Project Statement
Surat, India
Surat aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards advancing zero waste circular solutions in the city.
Read Surat’s Project Statement
Read Surat’s City Waste Management Profile
News and Blogs
Urban Ocean: Santa Fe
Urban Ocean: Salvador
Urban Ocean: Bangkok
Contact Us
For more information on our programs