Dow Chemical and Ocean Conservancy's Smooth Sailing Partnership

Dow Chemical and nonprofit The Ocean Conservancy have partnered for 30 years to clean up marine plastic — "longer than most marriages," according to Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies.

McPherson interviewed Jeff Wooster, Dow's global sustainability director and Emily Woglom, vice president of The Ocean Conservancy, about what it takes to keep the partnership strong throughout the years.

Dow first participated in The Ocean Conservancy's ocean cleanup days, but soon realized "we needed to learn more scientifically about how trash gets into the ocean and how we can prevent it," Wooster said. The organizations created the Trash Free Seas Alliance to align the consumer industry with the conservation industry.

Along with a shared purpose is the business case to keep plastics out of the oceans, he said, and there is no excuse for a consumer goods company not to engage in proper waste management throughout their supply chain in the developed world.