Our goal as a company is to bring awareness to the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean.  We use our social media platforms as a way to educate our followers, and showcase changes they can make in their lives to help alleviate this issue.  We view every bikini sale as an opportunity to communicate the message of the realities of plastic pollution, while being encouraging and supportive to our customers of how they can make lasting changes. 

The Amazing Ocean

The ocean is an incredible source of life and covers over two-thirds of our Earth's surface.  It sustains the creatures who live in it, as well as human kind.  It is rich in biodiversity, and stores much of the carbon dioxide created by the burning of fossil fuels.  Over 70% of the oxygen we breathe is generated by marine plants.  “Billions of people worldwide —especially the world’s poorest— rely on healthy oceans to provide jobs and food, underscoring the urgent need to sustainably use and protect this natural resource”, the World Bank has emphasized.  Besides the importance of protecting the ocean for human’s sake, there are millions of marine species that depend on its health for survival. 

Pollution

The health and wellbeing of the ocean is suffering.  The causes and factors leading to this decline are numerous and overwhelming.  From collapsing fisheries, dying coral reefs, species extinction, and ocean acidification, there is no shortage of issues that need illuminating.  Plastic pollution is only one of the many problems the ocean is facing.  However, plastics in the ocean are highly visible and directly linked to anthropogenic (human) causes.  The potential problem of assigning responsibility for this issue is made much simpler because it is anyone who has ever used single use plastics; so, all of us! 

Plastics

Over 8 million tons of plastics are dumped into the ocean every year with 80% coming from land based sources.  Sadly, when plastics enter the ocean, they do not biodegrade.  A final step in the manufacturing process of plastics turn it into a material unrecognizable by organisms in the ocean normally responsible for breaking down organic matter.  The plastics will break into smaller and smaller pieces as time goes on, but this increases the chances plastic will be mistaken as food by marine animals.  Plastics absorb pollutants that have low water solubility and persist in the ocean for decades.  The smaller the pieces the plastics break into, the greater the surface area to absorb various pollutants, making it more toxic and deadly when mistaken as food and eaten. 

What You Can Do

Although it may seem overwhelming to think about the amount of plastic polluting the ocean, we encourage you to think about how you can cut back on using single-use plastics in your day to day life.  If you are having a hard time thinking about how to cut back on plastic use, try these simple tips!

  1. Say yes to a reusable water bottle and coffee cup. This alone will divert hundreds of plastic containers from entering landfills or the ocean every year.

  2. Take your own bags to the grocery store and shop in bulk. The majority of single-use plastic we use on a day to day basis come in the form of packaging for our food.

  3. Eat inside a restaurant instead of ordering takeout. We love take out as much as you, but the environment does not…

  4. Skip the straw or take your own reusable one when you go out. Straws are one of the most frequently found plastic pollutants in the ocean.

  5. Use glass containers for leftovers. After a few weeks you will barely remember the alternative (single-use plastic baggies).

Avoiding all plastic is inevitable, and the journey to reducing plastic use can be highly frustrating.  Nobody is perfect, so when plastic sneaks into your life, just remember to recycle!  If you have any questions about how to get started or are looking for more information on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact us.