2017 Environmental Achievement Award (posthumous)
Michael Brown of Jamestown, R.I.
Founder and former president of Packaging 2.0
Michael Brown, who passed away in March, founded the environmentally responsible company, Packaging 2.0 Inc., in 2002 to bridge the worlds of plastics package design and manufacture, and reuse, recycling and sustainability.
Mission 2.Ocean is his company’s environmental initiative to help fund local and global programs that seek to reduce levels of plastic pollution in the world’s waters and on its shores. With more than 20 years of experience in the plastic packaging industry, Brown’s goal in forming Packaging 2.0 was to raise levels of awareness about plastic packing pollution, increase recycling rates, and connect activists, educators and scientists to the plastics industry and end users.
In nominating Brown, Aidan and Kate Petrie and Victoria Valentine said that Brown “aligned his packaging business with a deep sense of accountability for how we treat our planet and its stewardship, and with his passion for the ocean, sailing and boating.” Brown was a long-time Save The Bay advocate and supporter, an active conservationist in Jamestown and led many beach cleanups before losing his battle with cancer.