Our Story
By Suzette Mehler and Jim LeVine, Ph.D.
Serendipitous Alliance:
Suzette's international business and manufacturing background, and Jim's environmental economics and scientific background were an unusual alliance that may have been necessary to forge a global vision to engage consumers in a way that could change the course of plastic pollution. Suzette worked on the project for eight years, beginning in the Summer of 2014, before making contact with Jim in late 2021.
Their decade-long interdisciplinary and in-depth research revealed a unique perspective on plastic pollution, diverging significantly from conventional industry narratives. They concluded that effective solutions require the participation of most of the global consumer base. More specifically, they identified that the problem stems from unsustainable social norms born of the marketplace, and propose using the marketplace to influence safer norms.
About Suzette Mehler:
Suzette's life took a pivotal turn in June 2014 when she witnessed the alarming pervasiveness of plastics in our oceans. This experience occurred aboard Captain Charles Moore's ("Charlie") specially built 55-foot research catamaran, Alguita O.R.V. As they cruised through Long Beach Harbor, Charlie used a manta trawl, a steel sieve-like net, to collect water samples. When Suzette examined a sample in a petri dish, she saw as many microplastics as tiny marine organisms—and felt it could be representative of the future of oceans.
Realizing she could contribute from a mass marketing perspective, she redirected her time and resources to this issue. Nearly 11 years later, she remains deeply committed to the cause. Suzette is a marketer, marketing researcher, patented inventor, offshore manufacturer, and importer. She gained global branding experience as a vendor for Skechers brand athletic shoes for 4 years. She holds a marketing degree from California State University, Long Beach.
Suzette lives in Long Beach, CA, and dedicates her time to continuous study and refining the project at hand.
About Jim LeVine, Ph.D.:
Jim’s academic and business experience perfectly complements this project. In 2021, he meticulously reviewed and validated Suzette’s assumptions, bringing scientific rigor and adding essential layers of policy and economics. He articulated the significance of discovering a new paradigm and envisioned its many applications across market sectors. Expanding Suzette’s market research with five decades of expertise, he substantiated their findings with deep industry insight.
Jim’s impressive career includes professorships at prestigious universities, including Cal Poly SLO and USC, as well as roles as a research scientist and wetlands consultant. He also collaborated with Masao Kinoshita at Sasaki Associates in urban landscape design. Jim holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics from USC and master’s degrees in Urban and Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture from the University of Hawaii and Harvard GSD, respectively.
He resides in Tacoma, WA, dedicating his time to reading published studies, writing, and mentoring Ph.D. candidates.
