Film as a Vessel for Science: A Plastic Odyssey Story
To inspire action, environmental communication needs both imagination and evidence. By combining hopeful, solutions-driven storytelling with solid scientific grounding, films can both captivate audiences and build credibility. In this lightning talk, Alexandre Dechelotte, Co-Founder and General Manager of Plastic Odyssey, and Dr. Hanna Dijkstra share lessons from their expedition on Henderson Island, showing how positive narratives rooted in evidence can inspire change, attract partners, and mobilize support for a more sustainable future.
Featured Speakers:
Alexandre Dechelotte is the Co-Founder and General Manager of Plastic Odyssey, a global expedition dedicated to fighting plastic pollution. A former Merchant Navy officer, he now leads a three-year journey around the world aboard the Plastic Odyssey vessel, stopping in ports across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to share open-source recycling technologies and build local solutions. The expedition combines research, restoration actions, and storytelling to raise awareness worldwide. In 2024, he spearheaded Plastic Odyssey’s scientific and human mission to Henderson Island, one of the most remote places on Earth, which has become a striking symbol of plastic pollution and resilience.
Dr. Hanna Dijkstra is a sustainability scientist, plastic pollution researcher, and science communicator. She holds a PhD from VU Amsterdam, where her research focused on sustainable business models and entrepreneurship for plastic management. She joined the Plastic Odyssey expedition to Henderson Island, one of the most polluted beaches in the world, as the on-board scientist. She now works as a researcher, writer, and consultant and supports the Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty in the UN treaty negotiations.
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