LANAI CITY, HI – Sensei Farms is proud to announce its partnership with Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) as part of its commitment to reducing plastic waste. This partnership follows the recent launch of Sensei Farms’ new paperboard packaging, which contains 93% less plastic than its previous form. To mark this year’s Giving Tuesday on December 3rd, Sensei Farms is featuring PMDP in its paperboard packaging to highlight the nonprofit’s vital efforts of removing plastic and marine debris from our oceans.

Every year, 11 million metric tons of plastics enter our oceans in addition to the estimated 200 million metric tons already in circulation. This accumulation of debris is posing severe threats to endangered Hawaiian species like the Hawaiian monk seal and Hawaiian green sea turtle. The Hawaiian archipelago consists of 137 islands, and although only 7 are populated, plastic waste affects all of them.

A recent study reviewing four decades of data found clear benefits of plastic debris removal for marine ecosystems and restoration efforts. In their four years of operation, PMDP has set sail on ten 30-day missions to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and has since removed 1,046,410 pounds (475 metric tons) of marine debris from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

“We are partnering with PMDP because they are doing important work to address Hawaii’s plastic pollution beyond our major islands,” says Connie Lu, Marketing Director of Hawaii and Corporate Sustainability. “Tackling plastic waste will require a holistic approach, which is why we are proud to be both reducing plastics at the source and supporting efforts to remove existing plastics from the environment.”

Sensei Farms’ PMDP packaging will be available in stores on Giving Tuesday and throughout the holiday season. Find this special edition package at Foodland, KTA, Whole Foods, Target, Safeway, Don Quijote, Down To Earth, HMart, and other local Hawaii grocers.