CAROLYNN BOX (CBOX)

Textile X Ocean Connector Program

I am working with California-based sustainable textiles consultancy Materevolve on a series of immersive educational sails and field trips that are designed to bring stakeholders together to learn from experts in the field and discuss solutions to textile derived pollution. The experiential learning event was hosted on Call of the Sea’s traditional wooden ship, the Matthew Turner, on May 14th, 2022 and was done in partnership with Fibershed, a Bay Area non-profit that develops regional fiber systems that build soil. We have since hosted additional Textile X Ocean Connector Sails bringing together over 150 individuals. More information can be found on the Materevolve website here.

SOS 2.0 Report on Microfiber Pollution

My colleague Krystle Moody Wood, founder and principal consultant at Materevolve, and I were selected by the Environmental Protection' Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program to author the Save Our Seas Act 2.0: Report on Microfiber Pollution for the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC).

The Report on Microfiber Pollution includes:

(1) a definition of microfiber;

(2) an assessment of the sources, prevalence, and causes of microfiber pollution;

(3) a recommendation for a standardized methodology to measure and estimate the prevalence of microfiber pollution;

(4) recommendations for reducing microfiber pollution; and

(5) a plan for how Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, can lead on opportunities to reduce microfiber pollution during the 5-year period beginning on such date of enactment.

We ran the process to coordinate with topical experts and federal agency representatives to develop the report, including a federal plan to reduce microfiber pollution. More information can be found on Materevolve’s website here.

California Microfiber Workshop Series

I am working with California-based sustainable textiles consultancy Materevolve on a series of stakeholder workshops aimed at building collaboration and prioritizing solutions to microfiber pollution.

The first workshop of the series, “California Microfiber Workshop: Science, Innovation & Connection,” was on November 17th, 2020 and done in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, the Ocean Protection Council, and the California Water Quality Control Board. This invitation-only workshop, centered around the complexities of microfiber pollution and textile solutions, will feature presentations and facilitated breakout sessions with California leaders in marine science, policy, and sustainable textile innovation. To see the final report and learn about other opportunities, check out the Materevolve website here or the NOAA Marine Debris Website here.

Scientific Advisor for Microfiber Innovation Challenge

I joined the Conservation X Labs as an advisor in early 2021 on their Microfiber Innovation Challenge. Conservation X Labs, an innovation and technology company that spurs solutions to the extinction crisis, has teamed up with a global coalition of partners to launch an innovation competition with $650,000 in cash prizes dedicated to solving a problem of planetary proportions—plastic microfiber pollution. Please reach out if you have questions about the Challenge. You can also find out more about the challenge on their website: here

Recent Clients / Partners