Through a spectacular racing boat, RACE FOR WATER aims to promote innovation with universities by developing tools and systems to measure the water footprint and micro-plastic pollution in the oceans.

UNESCO: EDUCATION

The emails also show 19 Entertainment and Plastic Pollution Coalition staff discussing the PSA, as well as various pre-prepared tweets to promote it, with both sides brainstorming ideas and both 19 Entertainment and the Idols themselves giving final approval on the upload of the video.

FORBES: Under Pressure from Sponsor, American Idol Pulls Plug on Plastic PSA

Keller created a costume for the Bag Monster complete with 500 plastic bags attached (the number the average U.S. consumer goes through per year), and now has a few costumes which he loans out to any organization or educational institution that wants to use the Bag Monster to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

FORBES: Small Plastic Bag Lawsuit Could Have a Huge Impact on Green Business

Pollution also poses a threat: floating plastic bags look a lot like the jellyfish they rely on as their main food source, and have been found in the digestive systems of about half of the leatherbacks studied in recent times.

CNN: Race to save the leatherback turtle

Much of the pollution that exists in the garbage patches is plastic waste that gradually breaks down into short lengths of polymer which absorb other pollutants and accelerate their uptake into the marine food-chain.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS