Cleaning up the Big Blue
Mae Dorricott
This week our Plastic Not Fantastic series highlights Big Blue Ocean Cleanup. A worldwide initiative to drive positive change towards cleaning up the oceans. See how their multifaceted approach to tackling the plastic tide encourages everyone to take up the challenge and get involved themselves!
Our oceans are vast and beguilingly blue. In the purest of worlds, these would be the sole two factors depicting our oceans, but unfortunately in today’s world, there’s one more… polluted.
It can be overwhelming to think how much plastic enters our seas everyday and it may make you want to bury your head in the sand. But there are some amazing groups of people around the globe who are lifting our chins and giving each and every one of us the tools to turn this mess around. Meet: Big Blue Ocean Cleanup.
Be a part of the solution. Photo: Big Blue Ocean Cleanup.
THEIR VISION: healthy oceans in which humanity is forever committed to, cares for, and appreciates, for the long-term benefit of people and all life on Earth.
How do they mean to achieve this? Big Blue Ocean Cleanup works to prevent and protect the oceans, and to minimise disturbance from human development and climate change. They have a four pronged approach to reach this goal:
Make the oceans clean again - join beach cleans, or even organise them yourself! Photo: Big Blue Ocean Cleanup.
1. COASTAL CLEANING
Their Coastal Cleanup programme provides a fun and easy way to volunteer and engage with the mission to protect the oceans. There is nothing quite like picking up litter from the beach, which puts into perspective how our everyday waste can easily slip into the blue. Getting hands on with beach cleans rallies people of all ages and different communities to physically see themselves what is happening to the oceans. Not only is it rewarding to take part in beach cleans by consciously helping to protect your local patch, but it’s also a great way to meet like-minded folk.
Who knows you may even meet Zac Efron?! (I know, I know!) Watch this video to see how even Zac is getting involved with Big Blue Ocean Cleanup to make our planet cleaner as part of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
With an ambassador network worldwide, all you need to do is check out the social channels of Big Blue Ocean Cleanup (links at the end of this article!) to find out where you can participate in the next beach clean. Additionally, to give you an extra reason to get involved Big Blue Ocean Cleanup sends out FREE clean up equipment to anyone who requests it!
Beach cleans - free equipment on request from Big Blue Ocean Cleanup. Photo: Big Blue Ocean Cleanup.
2. EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Protect what you love, but you can only love what you know… the educational programme of Big Blue Ocean Cleanup aims to educate and raise the importance of a clean and healthy ocean.
With a focus on 7 to 14 year olds, the free and open source materials for teachers provide short lessons of what a polluted ocean really means for the natural world and our planet. Enhancing ocean literacy is key to ensuring future generations fully understand that our oceans need to be free of plastic, and that individuals have the power to make that change.
You can find some of Big Blue Ocean Cleanup’s online lessons here.
3. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
We need the brightest of minds to think of creative ways to solve this global problem, and Big Blue Ocean Cleanup wants to facilitate them. There are a range of solutions needed to solve this issue - by casting their interest net big and wide, Big Blue Ocean Cleanup wants to work on a variety of projects, with creative ideas that aren’t even mainstream yet.
They are currently looking for partners who can assist in this mission to halt the flow of plastic entering the oceans. If you have any ideas and want to share - reach out to Big Ocean Cleanup via their website.
How can we curb plastic entering the oceans? We need the brightest minds working together. Photo: Big Blue Ocean Cleanup.
4. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Collaboration is key! The data that has already been collected by Big Blue Ocean Cleanup is used by businesses, governments, universities and individuals to further stop plastic pollution. Sharing a campus with the University of Exeter’s Marine Turtle Research Group, Big Blue Ocean Cleanup is currently in discussions of how the two can work closely together.
Collaboration is key to solving our plastic problem. Photo: Big Blue Ocean Cleanup.
To solve our plastic problem we need to tackle it from all angles. Big Blue Ocean Cleanup is one organisation doing this. By providing free beach cleaning equipment and collaborating with educators, scientists, and innovators they are at the beginning of their journey to achieving plastic free oceans.
There is an end to ocean pollution… and it starts with you.
To find out more about Big Blue Ocean Cleanup’s projects go to their website or check out their YouTube video. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @bigblueoceancleanup.