iSustain and the Tennessee Aquarium Join Forces for Microplastic Research

A Shared Vision

iSustain is thrilled to announce a new philanthropic partnership with the Tennessee Aquarium, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in the fight to keep plastics out of streams, rivers, and oceans. The Tennessee Aquarium’s mission to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife wholly aligns with iSustain’s mission to support programs that protect the environment and preserve natural resources. The Tennessee Aquarium’s mission to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife wholly aligns with iSustain’s mission to support programs that protect the environment and preserve natural resources.

As sustainability strategists, iSustain provides businesses across the country with services to create and implement attainable and measurable sustainability programs. Dawn Huber, one of the founders of iSustain, said, “We are proud to support the Tennessee Aquarium and it’s freshwater microplastic research and programs. The health of our watershed goes far beyond the Tennessee Valley. We are hopeful our support will help to continue much-needed research and will aid in the conservation efforts against freshwater microplastics.”

Microplastics Research

Our ongoing sustainability efforts lead the way in their fight to keep plastic waste out of streams, rivers, and the ocean. The partnership with the Tennessee Aquarium will extend that support to local watershed initiatives, and aid in ongoing microplastics research.

After a recent study by Dr. Andreas Fath of Furtwangen University that the water near the surface of the Tennessee river contains microplastic concentrations 80 times higher than those found in Germany’s Rhine River. As a result, the Tennessee Aquarium and its partners joined forces to better understand and combat the problem. Dr. Fath said that while the reason for so many microplastics is unknown, it may be a byproduct of decomposition from large plastic waste in the landfills that ultimately finds its way into our waterways. 

The majority of micropIastic research has focused on the marine environment to date, thus scientific funding to better understand the multifaceted chalIenges of micropIastics in freshwater has never been more important. Through their collaboration with Dr. Andreas Fath and others, the team at the Tennessee Aquarium is investigating:

• Sources of microplastics
• Microplastics distribution throughout the water column
• PotentiaI impacts of micropIastics on freshwater aquatic organisms

iSustain’s 3-Year Sponsorship Commitment

iSustain has committed to a three-year long partnership with the Tennessee Aquarium, during which time they will provide financial support to the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute in the fight against microplastics. iSustain also plans to provide opportunities for their customers and affiliates to join them in the support of this important research. Together, iSustain and the Tennessee Aquarium will continue working to keep plastics out of the streams, rivers, and oceans of the world.