Companies have long touted recycling as the solution to the plastics crisis, putting the responsibility on individuals to reverse it. But the truth is there's only one way to tackle a problem this massive — and it requires immediate and drastic action from companies, not consumers. Wellsley Brown — plastics campaign associate for Oceana, the largest international ocean advocacy organization — reveals the secrets behind plastic pollution and the one true way to prevent it. As a campaign associate for Oceana, Wellsley is primarily focused on helping build the technical foundation for the organization’s plastics campaign. She spends most of her days immersed in the ongoing science and the political and corporate developments around plastic pollution. A graduate of the University of Miami, Wellsley holds degrees in marine science and biology.

Before joining the Oceana team, Wellsley worked with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, where she monitored the success of sea turtle nests on her hometown beaches. Seeing hatchlings struggle to break free from plastic debris on their trek to the ocean solidified her resolve to tackle the marine plastic pollution problem. Her passion for the ocean and its inhabitants can be attributed in part to growing up in Jupiter, Florida, where she spent most of her free time surfing, swimming and scuba diving. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx