Common Seas
Common Seas is a UK nonprofit that develops National Action Plans, policy tools, and education programmes to reduce plastic pollution, primarily serving Small Island Developing States and small coastal countries with grant-funded technical support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Common Seas does
Common Seas is a UK-registered Community Interest Company (nonprofit) founded in 2017 and headquartered in Exeter, operating with 11-50 employees. The organization develops policy tools, research, and programs aimed at reducing plastic pollution and its health impacts, with a particular focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that are disproportionately affected by marine plastic but have limited capacity to address it.
The organization delivers its mission through three core programmes: Government Partnerships (co-developing National Action Plans and policy roadmaps with SIDS governments, supported by its 'Plastic Drawdown' modelling tool), Health Research (studying the health risks of plastics in collaboration with leading scientists), and Education for Action (ocean-literacy programmes reaching schools in 59 countries). Recent additions include a Regional Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiative developed with Circulearth, WRAP, Africa Circular, ANZPAC, and the Global Plastics Policy Centre, and a National Planning Working Group that synthesizes lessons from over 50 country-level initiatives.
Common Seas operates a grant-funded, services-for-free model. It does not charge partner governments for policy support; instead it secures funding from development programmes — most notably £1.08 million from the UK Government's Sustainable Blue Economies Programme in late 2024 to partner with five SIDS governments (Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Tuvalu). It pursues partnerships through direct government engagement and participation in multilateral forums such as the Global Plastics Treaty INC negotiations and the ISWA World Congress. The organization reports potential impact of 64,443 tonnes of annual plastic-pollution reduction, 762 professionals upskilled in 2025, and 1,960 schools engaged.
Common Seas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common Seas
- Legal name
- Common Seas C.I.C.
- Website
- https://commonseas.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Common Seas is a UK nonprofit that develops National Action Plans, policy tools, and education programmes to reduce plastic pollution, primarily serving Small Island Developing States and small coastal countries with grant-funded technical support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common Seas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Policy Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)
Keywords
Where Common Seas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Common Seas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Development Funding: Common Seas operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through grants and development funding from governments and international development programs. The organization receives funding from the UK Government's Sustainable Blue Economies (SBE) Programme (£1.08 million allocated for partnerships with five SIDS countries). Funding supports the development and implementation of national policy strategies and capacity building programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Common Seas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Seas is a nonprofit organization that develops policy tools, research, and programs to reduce plastic pollution and its health impacts. It works directly with governments, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to co-develop National Action Plans, build capacity, and implement policy roadmaps. The organization also conducts health research on plastics and delivers education programs for ocean literacy.
Product overview
Common Seas is a non-profit organization focused on tackling plastic pollution through three core programme areas: Government Partnerships (supporting SIDS governments with policy development and implementation), Health Research (studying health risks of plastics), and Education for Action (building ocean literacy among students and educators). The organization also leads the Regional EPR initiative for SIDS and remote geographies, and operates the National Planning Working Group to share best practices across countries. Key products include National Action Plan development, the Plastic Drawdown modelling tool, and various research reports and insights papers. The organization works primarily with Small Island Developing States and small coastal countries to reduce ocean plastic pollution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Government Partnerships Programme Collaborating with governments, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to identify and accelerate the most effective policies to significantly reduce plastic pollution.
- Health Research Programme Working with leading scientists to research and understand the health risks of plastics to guide policy-makers and others to make changes that protect human health.
- Education for Action Programme Equipping educators and young people with the knowledge and resources to build ocean literacy and empower a growing global community of student-led action on plastic waste.
- Regional EPR Research and Implementation Research exploring how regional Extended Producer Responsibility approaches could provide sustainable solutions to waste management challenges in SIDS and remote geographies, with implementation support for Indian Ocean Commission member states.
- National Action Plans Development Co-developing comprehensive policy roadmaps with countries to radically reduce plastic pollution, with potential to reduce pollution by up to 75-79% over the coming decade.
- Plastic Drawdown Tool A modelling tool used to address plastic pollution, specifically referenced in the Saint Lucia partnership to support the Marine Litter Management Action Plan.
- National Planning Working Group A working group of expert organisations that launched an insights paper sharing lessons from over 50 existing country-level initiatives, highlighting common elements of effective planning for national plastic action.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduce plastic pollution by up to 75% over ten years in partner countries
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Common Seas
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Common Seas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Common Seas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- CirculearthcoreLead collaborator on Regional EPR research for SIDS and remote geographies. Circulearth worked with Common Seas to develop research exploring how regional Extended Producer Responsibility approaches could provide sustainable solutions to waste management challenges in remote island geographies.
- Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)flagshipExploring implementation of first regional EPR scheme in SIDS context, tailored to unique needs of IOC member states (Union of Comoros, Réunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles). Common Seas is supporting this work through Government Partnerships programme.
- Guinea-BissaucoreFormalised partnership with Common Seas at INC-5 in Busan. Country will receive technical support to develop comprehensive roadmap to radically reduce plastic pollution as part of UK-funded programme.
- GrenadacoreFormalised partnership with Common Seas at INC-5 in Busan. Country will receive technical support to develop comprehensive roadmap to radically reduce plastic pollution as part of UK-funded programme.
- Papua New GuineacoreFormalised partnership with Common Seas at INC-5 in Busan. Country will receive technical support to develop comprehensive roadmap to radically reduce plastic pollution as part of UK-funded programme. National Action Plan to End Plastic Pollution published January 2026.
- Saint LuciacoreFormalised partnership with Common Seas at INC-5 in Busan. Supporting existing Marine Litter Management Action Plan using Plastic Drawdown tool. Country will receive technical support to develop comprehensive roadmap to radically reduce plastic pollution.
- TuvalucoreFormalised partnership with Common Seas at INC-5 in Busan. Country will receive technical support to develop comprehensive roadmap to radically reduce plastic pollution as part of UK-funded programme.
- WRAPcoreCollaborated on Regional EPR research for SIDS and remote geographies. WRAP contributed expertise to the research exploring regional EPR approaches for small island states.
- Africa CircularcoreCollaborated on Regional EPR research for SIDS and remote geographies. Contributed to the Vision Paper endorsed by 40 organizations globally.
- Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands Plastics Pact (ANZPAC)coreCollaborated on Regional EPR research for SIDS and remote geographies as part of global plastics policy network.
- Global Plastics Policy CentrecoreCollaborated on Regional EPR research, contributing academic policy expertise to the research exploring solutions for SIDS plastic pollution challenges.
- GAP for EPRcorePartnered with Africa Circular and IOC on proposal for regional EPR, after member states identified regional EPR as opportunity to enhance plastic pollution efforts.
- The Government of The GambiacoreCo-host of event alongside INC-5 negotiations in Busan celebrating growing leadership of small coastal countries in addressing plastic pollution. The Gambia has developed voluntary National Plan to end plastic pollution with Common Seas support.
- NestleminorEndorser of Vision Paper 'Regional EPR: A potential solution to reduce plastic pollution in SIDS and remote geographies' alongside 39 other organizations globally.
- CITEOminorEndorser of Vision Paper 'Regional EPR: A potential solution to reduce plastic pollution in SIDS and remote geographies' alongside 39 other organizations globally.
- WWFminorEndorser of Vision Paper 'Regional EPR: A potential solution to reduce plastic pollution in SIDS and remote geographies' alongside 39 other organizations globally.
- International Council for Circular EconomyminorEndorser of Vision Paper 'Regional EPR: A potential solution to reduce plastic pollution in SIDS and remote geographies' alongside 39 other organizations globally.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Common Seas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lonely Whale Foundation: A nonprofit that drives impact on ocean health through policy, partnerships, and campaigns focused on plastic pollution and marine ecosystems. Comparable in its nonprofit, advocacy-led, partnership-driven model targeting plastic pollution outcomes.
- The 5 Gyres Institute: A research and advocacy organisation focused on plastic pollution in oceans, combining science, education, and policy advocacy. Comparable to Common Seas in its integrated research-advocacy-education approach to marine plastic pollution.
- SYSTEMIQ: SYSTEMIQ is a systems-change consultancy that works on plastics and the circular economy, including policy advisory to governments and businesses on plastic reduction strategies. It is directly comparable to Common Seas on the plastic-policy advisory axis, though it operates at greater scale and across broader geographies.
- Plastic Pollution Coalition: A global advocacy coalition working to end plastic pollution through policy change, corporate accountability, and education. Comparable to Common Seas in its advocacy-led, mission-driven approach to plastic reduction and policy influence.
Broad incumbents
- Oceana: An international ocean advocacy organisation that campaigns on plastic pollution, marine policy, and fisheries. Comparable on ocean policy advocacy but with a much broader marine mandate and global campaign infrastructure.
- WWF: A major global conservation organisation whose marine programme advocates for plastic pollution reduction and engages with governments on ocean policy. Comparable as an incumbent NGO platform engaging on plastic pollution policy and EPR, but with much broader scope and scale.
- IUCN: The International Union for Conservation of Nature is an international body working on biodiversity and ecosystem policy, including marine conservation. Comparable on marine conservation policy and SIDS-relevant work but operates across the full biodiversity agenda rather than plastic specifically.
- Ocean Conservancy: A large, established ocean conservation nonprofit that works on plastic pollution policy, science, and advocacy. It overlaps with Common Seas on plastics policy but operates across broader marine conservation themes and with significantly larger resources.
Others
- WRAP: A UK-based charity that works with governments, businesses, and citizens on resource efficiency, waste reduction, and EPR design. Directly comparable as a research and policy partner on waste and plastics and is also an active collaborator with Common Seas on Regional EPR research.
- GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives): A global alliance of NGOs working on zero-waste and anti-pollution advocacy, including plastics policy reform. Adjacent to Common Seas on plastic-pollution advocacy and policy engagement but with a zero-waste and incineration focus rather than SIDS-specific delivery.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Common Seas social profiles
Digital presenceCommon Seas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common Seas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Common Seas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common Seas M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Common Seas
What does Common Seas do?
Common Seas is a nonprofit organization that develops policy tools, research, and programs to reduce plastic pollution and its health impacts. It works directly with governments, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to co-develop National Action Plans, build capacity, and implement policy roadmaps. The organization also conducts health research on plastics and delivers education programs for ocean literacy.
Is Common Seas a public or private company?
Common Seas is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Common Seas founded?
Common Seas was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Common Seas based?
Common Seas is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Common Seas make money?
One revenue line is on record: grants and Development Funding.
Who are Common Seas's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lonely Whale Foundation, The 5 Gyres Institute, SYSTEMIQ and Plastic Pollution Coalition. Broad incumbents are Oceana, WWF, IUCN and Ocean Conservancy. Others are WRAP and GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives).
Does Common Seas have an API?
No public API is recorded for Common Seas.
What industry is Common Seas in?
Common Seas's product category is Environmental Policy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation, with a secondary code of BPADALAI, Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management. Its NAICS code is 924110.