Why We Need World Ocean Day
Today, June 8th is World Ocean Day. It’s a truth that our oceans, the most important eco systems on the earth, are dying. We need to make a change in order to save them. One of the main problems is plastic waste. According to recent studies presented by the organization Parley For The Oceans, at least 40 million pounds of plastic has accumulated and is floating in the North Pacific Ocean alone. Over time the plastic degenerates into smaller pieces in the ocean. Aquatic life and seabirds then mistake the plastic fragments for food and ingest it, causing the animal to slowly die. Furthermore, a significant amount of this plastic is washed ashore everyday polluting our beaches as well.
Plastic waste comes in many forms, for example from micro plastic in skincare, plastic fragments from synthetic textiles as well as from pet bottles. There is a few easy steps towards cleaner an healthier oceans. As a consumer you can choose products made from biodegradable materials instead of plastic. Moreover, you can choose to support organizations and companies that are working towards cleaner oceans, such as Parley For The Oceans.
Stella McCartney in New Partnership to Save the Oceans
For 2017 World Ocean Day British fashion label Stella McCartney announced that they are entering a long-term partnership with the organization Parley For The Oceans. One of the organizations biggest initiatives is the creation of a yarn fiber that is made from plastic objects such as fishing nets, debris and bottles that are collected from oceans. McCartney says the brand plans to use this yarn in their upcoming collections. “To take something that is destructive and turn it into something that’s sexy and cool, how can that not be luxury?” Ms. McCartney said to the New York Times. The yarn will be used in product such as shoes, bags and outerwear and the first pieces will be in store already in July. Parley For The Oceans have previously collaborated with Adidas in creating a running shoe made out of recycled plastic fishnet.
The Ocean Conference at the UN
In conjunction with World Ocean day the UN is putting on a five-day conference called “The Ocean Conference”. It is held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017, to support the implementation of sustainable development goal 14, “Life below the water”. The Governments of Fiji and Sweden is co-hosting the conference.