Rivers are Life Premieres “Keepers of the North” Film to Illustrate Innovative Way of Recycling Plastic Waste

Anchorage, Alaska, December 9th, 2022

Rivers are Life is proud to present "Keepers of the North," a film that takes viewers on a never-before-seen cross-country journey of Alaska’s plastic waste as it becomes something usable, hope-inspiring, and new.

Who

The film explores a unique collaboration between Gulf of Alaska Keeper (GoAK), FedEx, the Alliance to End #Plastic Waste, Dow, Pyxera Global, and the Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC), who have teamed up to take the harmful trash left in Alaska’s hard-to-reach shores and recycle it into an innovative, durable construction material dubbed RESIN8TM.

The film focuses this story through the perspective of River Hero Chris Pallister, founder of GoAK. “From a cruise ship two miles off shore, Alaska’s shoreline looks pristine, but it’s not”, says Pallister. “It’s a … mess up here and people need to realize that.”

What

“Keepers of the North” explores the challenges of cleaning up the Gulf of #Alaska while exploring a new, scalable approach to making plastic waste useful.

As trash levels on Alaska’s gulf coast continue to rise, waste management, and the costs associated with it, have become a focal point to continue supporting cleanup efforts. “The difficulty with marine debris cleanup in Alaska is 33,000 miles of coastline”, explains Lori Aldrich, Hazardous Waste Project Manager with the State of Alaska. “Half of Alaska you cannot reach by road - you’ve got to take a plane, you’ve got to take a boat, you’ve got to take a combination of different things.”

“Keepers of the North” is the first official project presented by Rivers are Life. Rivers are Life played a lead role in bringing together these like-minded collaborators to overcome structural and natural barriers to collect and recycle the waste collected from Alaska’s coastline. From small, community-focused initiatives to large, multi-stakeholder efforts, Rivers are Life projects make a positive impact on river ecosystems and are scalable through the support of public and private sector collaborators who share common values and goals.

When

Rivers are Life began filming “Keepers of the North” in July 2022. The film premiered on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.

Where

The story begins in the remote reaches of the Gulf of Alaska, where litter accumulates through ocean currents, fishing routes, and tourism. After local volunteers collect the garbage, they are faced with a new problem—what to do with it?

This film follows the litter collected by GoAK along its journey via FedEx shipment to a CRDC facility in Pennsylvania—where new technology is recycling historically hard-to-break-down ocean plastics into a better, durable product for bricks, concrete, and other important structural building substances. “Keepers of the North” is an inspiring film that shows how innovators can come together to test and scale solutions for waste and recycling.

About Rivers Are Life

#Rivers are Life is on a mission to raise awareness of the true force and fragility of our river systems while showcasing their interconnectedness with all of us, our planet’s wildlife, and the ocean waste problem. Created to serve as a collective voice for global river ecosystems, Rivers are Life is comprised of River Heroes, organizations, and businesses dedicated to making a difference in local communities one project at a time. In sharing the stories of our waterways and those working to protect them, Rivers are Life believes we can cultivate a greater awareness of the importance of our planet’s rivers while driving innovative solutions, inspiring sustainability, and addressing waste.