Case Study: The Ocean Cleanup achieves smarter plastic tracking and more effective cleanup with Mapbox

The Ocean Cleanup Developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic

The Ocean Cleanup is a nonprofit developing advanced, energy-efficient technologies to remove plastic from oceans and intercept river-borne waste. To refine cleanup strategy and maximize impact, the organization needed ways to visualize and understand the complex transport, accumulation, and composition of plastic pollution and to track progress while communicating findings to the public.

Using Mapbox Studio and Mapbox GL JS, The Ocean Cleanup created custom-styled, interactive maps and simulations — from a River Plastic map to global transport and cost models and survey-backed trackers — to visualize research, model plastic flows, and report progress. These tools deepened scientific understanding, informed strategy decisions, and made research accessible to the public, improving outreach and program effectiveness.

The Ocean Cleanup

Laurent Lebreton

Head of Research