The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative

What The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative does

The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in August 2018 to prevent plastic waste from reaching oceans through systemic, city-level intervention. It operates five interconnected programs: Plastic Neutral Cities (a systemic change program designed to transition cities to Plastic Neutrality), Plastic Neutral Certification (a business-facing certification service for calculating plastic footprints and achieving certified Plastic Neutral status), Plastic Neutral Governance (policy advisory services for local, state, and federal governments), Enabling Policies (a coastal-city network under the Baja to Bering initiative linking Western Pacific cities), and Assessing Plastic Footprint (a diagnostic service quantifying plastic consumption and leakage for businesses and municipalities). Its underlying methodology combines Human Centred Design research (semi-structured interviews, focus groups, in situ observations) with circular economy frameworks applied to municipal waste management.

The organization derives revenue from three streams: public donations and contributions, Plastic Neutral Certification services sold to enterprises, and Advisory Council engagements with government and private-sector clients. Pricing for certification and advisory services is not publicly disclosed; donation-based funding is solicited directly through the oursea.org website. Its primary customer segments are government bodies (municipal, state, federal), businesses in plastic-intensive verticals (hotels, restaurants, bottling companies), local NGOs and social enterprises (incubated through the organization), and individual citizens engaged through volunteer programs. Geographically, operations are concentrated in Mexico (La Paz and Los Cabos pilots targeting 2025 Plastic Neutrality), with the headquarters in Baie D'Urfé, Quebec, and team presence in Canada, USA, Mexico, and the UK.

The organization is co-led by Hans Herrmann (President & Cofounder) and Carole Monnier (Secretary of the Board & Cofounder), with a multi-country governance structure including Scott Vaughan and Konstantia Koutouki on the Board, and regional Directors and Senior Associates across North America and Europe. No venture capital, private equity, or corporate parent ownership is identified; the organization operates as an independent non-profit reliant on donations, certification fees, and advisory engagements for funding.

Name

The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative

Legal name

The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative

Website

https://oursea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative is a Canadian non-profit that helps cities and businesses transition to Plastic Neutrality through certification services, policy advisory, and a Western Pacific coastal-city network, anchored by pilot projects in La Paz and Los Cabos, Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pollution Prevention, Chemicals & Waste (incl. Plastics) (BPADALAJ), Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Sustainability Testing, Certification & Compliance (LCA, Recyclability/Compostability Testing, FSC/PEFC) (IMALAMAK)

Keywords

• Ocean plastic reduction
• Plastic footprint assessment
• Circular economy consulting
• Environmental certification services
• Waste management policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Baie-d'urfe

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization relies on public donations and contributions to fund their ocean plastic prevention programs and projects.
2. Plastic Neutral Certification Services: Certification programs for businesses to become Plastic Neutral, including plastic footprint calculation and implementation solutions.
3. Advisory Council Services: Working with government and private sector to establish Advisory Councils that support long-term strategy, public policy advice, and transparency in waste management systems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative drives sustainable systemic change to keep plastic waste out of the oceans by combining policy advisory, certification, and on-the-ground community programs. It sells Plastic Neutral Certification to businesses, assesses plastic footprints for cities and companies, designs public policy with governments, and incubates local organizations to implement circular economy solutions. Its flagship pilot aims to transition La Paz and Los Cabos to Plastic Neutrality by 2025.

Product overview

The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative operates as a unified platform offering five interconnected environmental programs: Plastic Neutral Cities (core systemic change initiative), Plastic Neutral Certification (business certification service), Plastic Neutral Governance (policy advisory services), Enabling Policies (coastal city network), and Assessing Plastic Footprint (diagnostic assessment service). These programs work together to help cities and businesses transition toward plastic neutrality through circular economy solutions, with the organization acting as an articulator, steward, incubator, honest broker, and amplifier of environmental initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plastic Neutral Cities A systemic change program enabling any city to become Plastic Neutral by preventing plastic waste from reaching oceans, creating new employment, and developing new technologies through circular economy approaches.
• Plastic Neutral Certification Certification program that helps businesses become Plastic Neutral by calculating their plastic footprint, identifying areas needing attention, and providing solutions to achieve Plastic Neutrality through various certification options.
• Plastic Neutral Governance Collaboration with policy makers from local, state, and federal governments in the design of public policies and laws that create, enable, incentivize, and support plastic-reducing and socially inclusive circular economies.
• Enabling Policies A functional and operative network of coastal cities throughout the Western Pacific region committed to a low carbon, nature-embracing, plastic-neutral, green economy pathway with a vision for prosperity, sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience.
• Assessing Plastic Footprint Comprehensive program that helps businesses and cities determine their plastic consumption levels and how much plastic is leaking into the environment, providing actionable steps to lower footprint and achieve Plastic Neutrality.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transition La Paz and Los Cabos to Plastic Neutral cities by 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DesplastificatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2020Desplastificate is a network of organizations, enterprises, and citizens. Through their incredible work, the State of Baja California Sur became one of the first states in Mexico to pass a law prohibiting single-use plastics. Mare Nostrum works with this network as a key strategic partner in achieving plastic neutrality in the region.
• IMPLAN Municipal Government La PazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatricia Ahumada serves as Executive Director of IMPLAN Municipal Government La Paz and is part of the Mare Nostrum team, indicating a close working relationship for implementing plastic neutrality initiatives at the municipal level.
• Baja California Sur State GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMare Nostrum is forging an alliance with state governments to transition La Paz and Los Cabos to Plastic-Neutrality by 2025. The state has already passed legislation prohibiting single-use plastics.
• Hotels & Restaurant AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMare Nostrum is forging an alliance with Hotel & Restaurant associations as part of the effort to transition La Paz and Los Cabos to Plastic Neutrality, converting plastic residues from costly unwanted waste to valuable long-lasting commodities.
• Bottling CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMare Nostrum is forging an alliance with bottling companies to transition La Paz and Los Cabos to Plastic Neutrality, addressing the plastic waste generated by beverage production and distribution.
• Religious LeadersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the broader alliance with various societal sectors to drive transformational change toward plastic neutrality in the region.
• NGO PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMare Nostrum works as an incubator to detonate as many organizations as possible that can implement strategies leading to Plastic Neutrality, staying with them every step of the way through implementation and monitoring.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that stops ocean plastic by exchanging recyclables for income in vulnerable coastal communities and issues plastic credits. Highly comparable to Mare Nostrum's plastic neutrality and collection/value-chain mission.
• Lonely Whale: Ocean advocacy organization that convenes cross-sector partnerships (e.g., Starbucks, McDonald's strawless initiatives) to reduce single-use plastics. Highly comparable to Mare Nostrum's alliance-driven approach with hotels, restaurants, and bottling companies.
• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global advocacy coalition working to end plastic pollution through policy, education, and corporate engagement. Comparable to Mare Nostrum's policy advisory and stakeholder coalition-building work.
• 5 Gyres: Research and advocacy organization focused on plastic pollution in oceans, combining science, education, and policy. Comparable to Mare Nostrum's research-led, policy-advisory approach to systemic plastic reduction.
• rePurpose Global: Plastic action platform offering plastic credit certification and corporate plastic neutrality programs. Most directly comparable to Mare Nostrum's Plastic Neutral Certification and footprint assessment services, with a similar focus on branded plastic action offerings for businesses.
• Plastic Free July: Global movement and non-profit that empowers individuals and organizations to reduce single-use plastic consumption. Comparable to Mare Nostrum's community engagement, behavior change, and city-level advocacy work.

Broad incumbents

• SCS Global Services: Established third-party certification body offering sustainability, recycling, and packaging certifications. Comparable to Mare Nostrum's Plastic Neutral Certification service but operates across many sustainability categories at global scale.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Well-funded non-profit deploying large-scale technological cleanup systems for ocean plastic. Comparable mission (prevent plastic from reaching oceans) but with a much larger budget, technology-led approach, and global brand recognition.
• Ocean Conservancy: Large, established marine conservation non-profit with global policy influence, including the International Coastal Cleanup. Operates in the same ocean plastic space as Mare Nostrum but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Surfrider Foundation: Coastal environmental non-profit focused on beach water quality, plastic reduction, and coastal protection with a strong volunteer and chapter network. Comparable to Mare Nostrum in mission and volunteer-driven community engagement model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Wix
• Facebookfacebook.com/marenostrum.global
• Instagraminstagram.com/marenostrumglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-mare-nostrum-global-initiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Mare Nostrum Global Initiative