Keep America Beautiful joins OPLN as nonprofit member

Keep America Beautiful, the Stamford, Connecticut-based community improvement nonprofit organization, announced it has joined SoulBuffalo’s Ocean Plastics Leadership Network (OPLN).

OPLN is comprised of a global community of retailers, brands, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and alliances committed to developing new approaches, innovations and solutions-based projects to address the impacts of plastic waste.

According to a Keep America Beautiful news release, the organizations unite along the common goal of ending littering, with a specific focus on ocean plastics. This partnership will promote volunteer engagement events including National Clean Beaches Week, which takes place July 1-7, and the Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, which normally takes place during the spring months (March 19-June 20) but has been extended through Oct. 18 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many Keep America Beautiful community-based affiliates will be conducting beach and coastal cleanups throughout the year.

“Keep America Beautiful believes in tri-sector partnerships for social good, where government entities, corporations and NGOs work together to solve problems,” says Helen Lowman, Keep America Beautiful president and CEO. “We are excited to partner with the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network and collaborate with its prominent list of members in seeking solutions to address the ocean plastics crisis.”

SoulBuffalo’s OPLN launched in January with the introduction of its online community and leadership network available at OceanPlasticsLeadershipNetwork.com. According to company, the OPLN features industry news, tools and research from experts and advocates to advance innovative solutions and projects that reduce plastic waste. OPLN currently includes more than 60 members committed to collaborative solutions, including organizations representing the development, distribution, purchase, retail use and recycling of plastic products.

“We’re excited to [welcome] Keep America Beautiful, with a robust network of partners of its own, into the SoulBuffalo Ocean Plastics Leadership Network,” says Dave Ford, co-founder of SoulBuffalo. “Keep America Beautiful’s dedication to keeping the environment pristine is aligned with our mission, and essential to both inspiring and capturing the hearts and minds of consumers around the world.”

In addition to being a member of OPLN, Keep America Beautiful is also a founding member of the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance, as well as a partner of Earth Day Network on its Great Global Cleanup.