During her doctoral research on CCA-treated wood, Jambeck worked alongside Debra Reinhardt and Helena Solo-Gabriele.

[5] In 2001, Jambeck started working on marine debris, the solid plastic waste that accumulates in the shorelines of waterways.

The mission, "eXXpedition", looked to advance understanding of microplastics and their impact on environmental and human health.

[8] Based on data collected by this app, in 2015 Jambeck estimated that there was over 8 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year.

She developed the Circularity Assessment Protocol, CAP, which includes plastics manufacturers, users and people who are involved with waste management.