OCEAN PLASTICS CLEANUP INITIATIVES
It's been a long week. It's time for some GOOD NEWS about plastics!
There is hope in sight!
Locals, governments, small businesses, and non-profit organizations are taking it upon themselves to TAKE ACTION on the build-up of ocean plastics. Take a look at some of these initiatives and get inspired by people trying to make a difference by putting a dent in this problem.
WHAT CAN YOU DO IN 4 MINUTES?
Read these articles and feel better about life!
Only have 4 minutes – check out our highlights
Got more time – read more than one
1. ‘The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.
2. Stepping Up: With season cancelled, ecotourism group tackles marine waste
3. Bali’s Kuta Beach cleared of tons of plastic waste
References
‘The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. (The Ocean Cleanup)
Stepping Up: With season cancelled, ecotourism group tackles marine waste (Globe & Mail)
Bali’s Kuta Beach cleared of tons of plastic waste (CNN Travel)
WHAT?
Trash accumulates in five ocean garbage patches, the largest one being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California.
Solving it requires a combination of closing the source, and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the ocean.
The Ocean Cleanup
GOAL
Good News Friday will lift our spirits and take us into a great weekend!
WHO?
If left to circulate, the plastic will impact our ecosystems, health, and economies.
SOLUTION
Every Friday, instead of focusing on the negative and on the things we want to change, we focus on what’s already good in the world and spend time learning and sharing this news.
“With a full fleet of cleanup systems in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, they aim to clean up 50% of its plastic every five years”
Highlights
“The Ocean Cleanup is developing a passive cleanup method, which uses the natural oceanic forces to rapidly and cost-effectively clean up the plastic already in the oceans. With a full fleet of cleanup systems in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, they aim to clean up 50% of its plastic every five years. The Ocean Cleanup has also developed the first scalable solution to efficiently intercept plastic in rivers before it reaches the oceans. By tackling 1000 rivers around the world, they aim to halt 80% of plastic from entering the oceans in five years from rollout.” (The Ocean Cleanup)
“Thanks to a project dreamed up by Mr. Smith, the fleet of luxury ecotourism ships began two 21-day cleanup expeditions on Aug.18. A hundred crew members spent eight to 10 hours a day hauling debris, from soccer balls to commercial fishing nets, off the craggy, wave-tossed beaches. The project is an industrial-level cleanup that will see some 130 tonnes of plastic debris removed from the shoreline.” (Globe & Mail)
“Tons of trash have washed onto Bali’s famous Kuta Beach, prompting locals to spend the first day of the new year staging a cleanup. Residents from the Badung area on the Indonesian island cleared 30 tons of marine debris from the beach, according to the state-run Antara news agency.” (CNN Travel)
And one more thing! PUTTING PRESSURE ON CORPORATIONS WORKS… While not specific to oceans cleanup, this fits in well with our theme this week: Loblaws Inc., one of Canada’s largest grocery retailers, put out a letter THIS WEEK pledging to do more to address their contribution to the single-use plastics problem in the food industry. Check it out!
Your site is incredible. I really love it. A wonderful combination of education and action and thankfully a few good news items. You should do a whole month on plastics. Thank you Maria
Thank you! Agreed. Plastics are such a big issue we need to tackle.