9 Ways to Tackle Ocean Plastic

Sustainability

Laura Hock

Small actions, big impact

It’s not a secret that, very year, billions of pounds of more plastic end up in the world's beautiful oceans. Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues, and in this year’s first Plastic Free July blog post I was talking about where ocean plastic is coming from, what the consequences of our world’s addiction to single use plastics are and that we're supporting the non-profit organization Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii cleaning it up.

Today, I want to talk with you lovelies about the great garbage patches that are "floating" in our oceans and that grew, and are growing, to the size of countries.

First addressed publicly in 1988, garbage patches are gyres (large systems) of marine debris particles that are accumulated by the effects of ocean currents. Garbage or plastic patches are often portrayed as huge floating islands, which is not really accurate as this is showing only the tip of an iceberg. These garbages rather look like (country-sized!) bowls and are up to 30 metres deep, consisting of plastic floating in a thick liquid. There are 5 of these huge garbage patches, causing huge environmental problems.

The good news is: We can fight it

My top three habits are:
Using reusable bottles & mugs, reusable shopping bags as well as reusable (or digestible) straws.

Another three – and easy! — ways to get involved in the fight against plastic pollution are:

Spread the word – awareness & education is key! Recommend documentaries etc, share posts on social media and educate your little and loved ones!
Get involved in clean ups, or simply organize clean ups!
Also, donating to charities is always a great way to help, too.

My 3 personal tips:

When it comes decor, I really love Vintage shopping! Antique furniture is plastic free furniture, and soo unique!
Everyone loves to party – and there are so many alternatives to party accessories! Please, whenever you can, say no to confetti, balloons or gift wrapping.
Last but not least, reflect that your clothing might (or often actually is) made of synthetic textiles. Did you know that a large proportion of micro plastics in the ocean actually comes from synthetic textiles made from polyester, lycra or spandex, for example?