Symposium: Reducing Marine Debris at the Source: Finding Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic

Dates: September 21–22, 2026

Location: Wells Conference Center, Orono, ME

Poster Session & Prototype Exhibition Time: Monday, September 21, 2026, from 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM.

Abstract submissions due by August 18, 2026, 5:00 PM EST

We are excited to invite abstract submissions for the symposium poster session! 

We welcome submissions from students, faculty, and industry professionals to share their research and innovations. We encourage participants to submit poster abstracts covering a broad spectrum of academic and applied research focused on marine debris. We also invite posters that demonstrate the science and data behind prototype development or design. Based on the symposium’s focus areas, suitable subjects may include, but are not limited to:

1. Materials Research & New Product Development

• Innovations in Sustainable Materials: Research into new materials that can replace plastic, particularly bridging the gap between research and application.
• Scalability for Production: Studies on the feasibility of scaling up alternatives, such as for industrial paper production.
• Technical Hurdles: Investigations into the challenges of developing alternatives through academic-industry partnerships.

2. Consumer Engagement & The Reuse Economy

• Community-Engaged Projects: Results or methodologies from pilot projects that test reuse systems across different community contexts.
• Foodware Alternatives: Technical and economic evaluations of disposable foodware alternatives, including their performance, cost-parity, and ease of recycling.
• Social Science & Behavior: Research on consumer readiness and barriers to adopting the reuse economy.

3. Industry Case Studies & Commercialization

• Sustainable Packaging R&D: Case studies on the research and development of sustainable packaging for commercial use.
• Retail Sustainability: Research focusing on the retail sector, including circular economy models in grocery or retail environments.
• Transition Pathways: Strategies and frameworks for moving research prototypes into broad, commercial application.

4. Policy & Intervention

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Analysis of current or proposed EPR and reuse policies and their impact on marine debris reduction.
• Strategic Roadmaps: Development of collaborative roadmaps that align industry needs with environmental policy goals.
• Other Related Policy Initiatives: Submissions highlighting additional policy-related research, such as legislative frameworks for plastic reduction, regional reuse strategies, or case studies in policy implementation.

Prototype Exhibition Integration

If your research has resulted in a physical product, we invite you to bring your prototype for display alongside your poster. A prototype is a physical model or an early version of an idea you have created. It is a tangible “draft” of a product that shows how your research might work in the real world. For example, if you have a new idea for a container that isn’t made of plastic, the prototype is the actual object you built to test that idea.

To exhibit a prototype means to put it on display so other people can see it. At the symposium, this means bringing your physical creation and setting it up next to your research poster. It allows you to:

• Show, not just tell: Instead of just describing your work on a poster, you let people see the actual material or product you developed.
• Demonstrate progress: It shows how you are bridging the gap between academic research and a product that could eventually be sold or used in stores.
• Gather feedback: Other researchers and industry professionals can look at your physical model during the scheduled session to understand your design better.

If you have a physical product from your research, then we encourage you to select the “Poster AND Prototype Exhibition” under “submission type” below so that we can make space for you to display it.

We are proud to share that the #LoveMaineWaters coalition (Maine Sea Grant, Maine Island Trail Association, Maine Marine Trades Association, and MCFA) has been awarded the Maine Tourism Board annual Stewardship Award. Watch the video below to learn more about the coalition project and the award.

Learn more about how our is trying to find a use for lobster shells and helping the environment at the same time by making a foam lobster shell composite as an alternative to EPS, commonly known as Styrofoam, specifically for thermal insulation and packaging applications.

Learn more about the the as part of a larger, interdisciplinary marine debris reduction project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Maine Sea Grant, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. 

Read more about the findings of the survey conducted by 91±¬ÁĎ researchers this summer to understand the cost burden of disposable food packaging on Bath food service providers. Catherine Segada, a graduate research assistant and Bath community liaison with the NOAA/Sea Grant Marine Debris Challenge Project and a master’s student in anthropology and environmental policy at the 91±¬ÁĎ explores the benefits of transitioning from disposables to reusables in the

Bath is joining a new pilot program next year aimed at reducing single-use food packaging waste by helping local restaurants explore reusable containers through the 91±¬ÁĎ’s ReuseME initiative, a project supported in part by a Maine Sea Grant-administered Marine Debris Reduction Challenge Grant to develop alternatives to disposable plastics and address marine debris at its source.

explains that coastal communities like South Portland can tackle growing plastic waste and marine debris by shifting from disposable to reusable packaging, highlighting how local reuse pilot efforts supported by research and outreach offer a practical path toward reducing single-use plastics and their impacts on Maine’s environment.

By adopting reusable food packaging systems, Bar Harbor could cut down the large amount of waste generated by summer tourism. .

Chyanne Yoder spoke with 91±¬ÁĎ News about seeking to prevent plastic pollution at its source by piloting systems for reusable food containers in Maine coastal communities, reducing the need for single-use foodware.

The Maine Marine Trades Association has partnered with Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Island Trail Association and Friends of Casco Bay to bring awareness to boaters about keeping Maine waters free of debris.