Rethink the Bag's Hayley McLellan is a 5 Gyres Ambassador

Two Oceans Aquarium Environmental Campaigner Hayley McLellan works tirelessly to take action against the growing global threat of plastic pollution. In 2011 she launched the Rethink the Bag campaign with the goal of banning single-use plastic shopping bags in South Africa - and she's making significant progress.

Hayley has recently been contacted by the prestigious 5 Gyres Institute and informed that she has been selected to be an official Ambassador for their organisation. But what does that really mean?

“I am thrilled to have been selected as an ambassador for the 5 Gyres Institute, here in Cape Town, South Africa! This is an organisation that has long inspired me through the extraordinary and important work that they do. It was partially through having the exciting opportunity of engaging with this ocean tribe, in December 2010 when they spent an entire month based at the wonderful Two Oceans Aquarium, that I officially launched the Rethink the Bag campaign – for a single-use plastic shopping bag free South Africa. I will continue to communicate the messages of this Institute in the work I do, to create best practice environmental actions in all of our communities. ” – Hayley McLellan, 5 Gyres Institute Ambassador

5 Gyres is a non-profit organsation with the global goal of empowering action against the health and environmental crisis of plastic pollution. What they have accomplished since their formation in 2008 is truly incredible:

In 2010 they became a founding member of the UN Global Programme on Marine Litter.
They were the first organisation to document plastic pollution in the North Pacific, South Pacific and South Atlantic Gyres.
Working with Barack Obama, they convinced the US to ban plastic microbeads.
They brought scientists together to create the first estimate of plastic pollution in the oceans.

We have so much respect for the work 5 Gyres has done, we have an entire wall dedicated to them inside the Aquarium. We are incredibly proud that Hayley and the work of Rethink the Bag has been recognised on this same world stage.

Being a 5 Gyres Ambassador, Hayley has access to a network of global ambassadors and support material. Hayley and Rethink the Bag are now able to formally participate in the work being done by 5 Gyres - encouraging science-driven change in eradicating plastic pollution and the products and actions that create it.

Hayley is one of just four 5 Gyres Ambassadors in Africa - we are excited about what this partnership will bring and would like to congratulate Hayley on her selection to this elite community.