This year, we are celebrating the world oceans day in a different way. It almost feels like in the midst of the world pandemic and BLM campaigns, we have forgotten about something even more important: our nature. Our society gets so easily carried away, with the trends of “good causes” and “doing the right things” that we sometimes forget about other “right things”.
The result of the past events this year has almost put us back in square one. Up until the end of 2019, many big cities and even some states and countries were pledging to be plastic-free. A big movement over the last 2-3 years has put many leaders on top of the wave that led the world to a plastic-free society. But where our own desire for takeout food and drinks in the middle of the pandemic crossed the path, businesses had no choice but to go with the flow and almost backtrack a little.
We have a voice.
We can play a very important role in this fight both as individuals and businesses because plastic is such a big part of all of our lives. If you think about it, how often is the plastic part of your day? With things like single-serving meals, drinking straws, packaging, grocery bags, electronics, etc., the role plastic plays in our lives is vast and the results are scary. But the pandemic shouldn’t get in the way of this. I know, how important it is to support small businesses, trust me, I am running one.
Act: But if you see where certain things can be improved, speak up! Share your ideas. If they are firm on takeaway as the only option, suggest compostable packaging, it’s not ideal but is a start.
Read and learn. Expand your mind: The Good Trade
Since its inception in 1974…
World Environment Day (June 5) is the UN’s most important date for encouraging environmental awareness and action across the globe. Much like Earth Day, World Environment Day focuses on spreading awareness as well as on action and doing something to benefit the Earth. The world oceans day on June 8th (today) is a day to celebrate the biggest covering surface of the world. Our oceans. Much like the lands, our oceans are in great danger.
As a very passionate surfer and environmentalist, I can speak for myself when I say, that it is very important to treat our oceans well. Many countries have been practicing ocean dump waste. (yes, is a thing) for years and while we cannot exactly know, how much trash there is, in our oceans, we know that there’s more than we can handle. It will take us years to try cleaning up. In the meantime, we are killing more endangered species out of our planet.
Read more: Ocean Waste Dumping
Take action for World Environment Day. As a business, you can already do a lot. And be a part of the fight to beat plastic pollution…
Hey girllsss… this one is for you 😉 A ZERO-WASTE PERIOD. PERIOD. + WHAT YOU NEED!
A lot of waste that ends up in the ocean comes from skincare and cosmetics. So supporting brands that are avoiding that / accepting back the packaging / encouraging you to buy less, is a good way to start. Many pads and tampons take years to properly decompose, and we certainly don’t have years! Check out the cup, if you feel like called to buy it, give it a try.
Below are few ways to make an impact, starting on World Oceans Day
1. Educate your team. Make sure everyone in your workplace and visitors know what can and cannot be recycled when it comes to plastic and encourage the use of reusables. You could even go so far as to ban single-serving disposables to really have an impact. With a small in-house campaign about recycling, you can spread awareness that can have a huge impact in your workplace and beyond.
2. Choose biodegradable materials instead. Plastic is often the easiest choice, but there are actually tons of solutions out there that are biodegradable and even those that do something good for the planet. For example, seed paper plantable promotional products can replace a variety of plastic-based materials used for businesses. And they grow into beneficial plants for the planet when planted.
7 ways to a plastic free lifestyle
5 WAYS TO TRAVEL WITH LESS WASTE
Here are a few even more specific ideas for the world oceans day
Use seed paper wristbands to replace the plastic kind at events.
Try plantable packaging components or use biodegradable seed paper box filler in place of bubble wrap.
Choose plantable shapes giveaways instead of pens or other plastic promotional giveaways
Order Journals, Notepads, and Notebooks made with a plantable paper instead of plastic-based.
3. Send a message – If you’re making changes to benefit the planet, make sure to share that with the world. Occasions like World Environment Day are a great time to spread the word and connect with people on a very important topic.
4. Host a cleanup. Nothing helps spread awareness and encourages change better than getting people outdoors to look for plastic pollution and pick it up. You could even make it a challenge of some sort to see who can collect the most.
I know Parley TV has been doing a great job in cleanups. They came to Squamish and I helped them organize it a bit, and they also came to Bariloche! It is beautiful to see, how they use their impact to reach a big audience, all over the world.
5. Buy in bulk. By buying things in bulk you are not only reducing the packaging materials, but you also reduce transportation emissions associated with deliveries. WIN-WIN!
According to the BBC, as of 2015, approximately 6.3 bn tonnes of plastic had been generated. Only 9% has been recycled, 12% incinerated and a whopping 79% is accumulated in landfills and the natural environment.
Learn more about the world ocean day
TAKE ACTION — this year’s June 8th: World Oceans Day 2020
The best thing I have learned in the last twenty-something years is that if we want to see the change in the world, we have to be that change. Take action and lead an example.
Be a part of the talk — World Oceans Day
You can extend the message by utilizing social media. Please use the hashtags #WorldOceansDay and #ProtectOurHome as ways to grow the collective impact.
For 2020 World Oceans Day is growing the global movement to call on world leaders to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030. This critical need is called 30×30. By safeguarding at least 30% of our ocean through a network of highly protected areas, we can help ensure a healthy home for all!
7 PODCASTS THAT CULTIVATE CHANGE
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A video to watch for the world oceans day 2020
Don’t feel like reading? Check out this expanding video:
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More about Alenka
“My name is Alenka and I’m a Squamish based photographer. I love using my medium to capture sports, adventures, underwater shots, adventures in the mountains and days on snow! Very simply put, I’m one stoked girl, ready to get up at 2 in the morning and hike for sunrise, go to the airport and take a random flight…you name it!
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