Ocean Youth Projects 2023

Love Our Oceans Project (The LOOP Network)

Project Details

Location

British Columbia, Canada

Jocelyn Marsh

Project Lead

The LOOP Network is a directory launched on the Love Our Oceans Project (LOOP) platform that celebrates and lists veterinary clinics participating in the LOOP in-clinic pill vial recycling program to reduce plastic waste within the veterinary industry. The program allows pet owners to locate sustainable veterinary clinics in their area participating in the program and receive incentives for returning their pet's used pill vials for disinfection and reuse, while participating veterinary clinics are able to reduce plastic waste and costs associated with stock orders of pill vials and be highlighted within the LOOP Network directory for being stewards in plastic recycling initiatives.

Project Description

The LOOP Network is a directory of sustainable Veterinary clinics participating in The Love Our Oceans Project’s Pill Vial Recycling Program. Vet clinics may request access to sign up where they will be placed on the directory and will submit monthly data on number of pill vials brought back to the Vet clinic for disinfection and recycling/re-use. Clients may then access The LOOP Network via www.loveouroceansproject.com and social media to find/support sustainable Veterinary clinics in their area.

This project has been created in commemoration of the lives of all the victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, including two Ocean Bridge ambassadors, Danielle Moore and Micah Messent. We aspire to carry on their legacy and commitment to making the world a better place by creating long-lasting impacts with a firm commitment to driving positive change for the environment and our ocean. We will never forget the light that Danielle and Micah brought to the world and will continue to keep them in our hearts. To learn more about these two amazing people, please visit: Honouring Danielle and Micah – Ocean Wise. This work is partially funded by the Commemoration Fund for Victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy

What was your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge was navigating security on an online platform. My initial design incorporated single logins for veterinary clinics and clients, but with this there was a large risk of ensuring appropriate security measures on the platform. I needed to alter my plan in order to still meet my goal of wanting to generate data of recycled pill vials while reducing the risk of security measures being hacked. I was able to do this with the help of the website developer and we ended up deciding on a general login with clinics being able to enter in their clinic name and number of vials brought back on a monthly basis and this data would then be generated on an excel sheet that I can use to post data on. Although this challenge did alter my design of the platform, I have been able to simplify it while still being able to obtain the data I initially wanted.

What was your most valuable takeaway?

My most valuable take away from the project is to strive for your passions and goals no matter how difficult it may seem, and breaking up those goals into smaller goals helped me see the overall picture of the project in realistic and obtainable ways. Initially I was overwhelmed and nervous to get started on the expansion of the project because of my lack of experience in website development, but being able to make small goals and working with connections that educated me on the areas I didn’t have knowledge in made the project realistically obtainable. I also learnt that being able to be flexible and open to change can allow your end goal to still meet your expectations of what you are wanting when launching a project. My initial design of The LOOP Network needed to be adjusted once I started discussions with the website developer (i.e. changes surrounding internet security and accessibility) and although the end change is more simplified, I am still able to obtain my goal of collecting data of recycled pill vials and being able to create a directory of participating clinics.