Today is World Oceans Day; the day we celebrate the magnificence of our world’s oceans and raise awareness for their preservation.

Our oceans play a vital part in maintaining our planets climate, they generate around 70% of the earth’s oxygen and support marine life. They also provide us with food and base ingredients for many of our medicines. In short, the health of our oceans has a direct impact on the health of our planet. 

Our oceans and marine life though are under threat. Over a relatively short period of time we have depleted the fish in our oceans through overfishing. We have polluted the waters through industrial agriculture run off and oil spills and are systematically destroying the ecosystems that marine plants and animals need to survive. Single use plastic is also turning the ocean into a minefield for animals. We’ve all seen the scenes which lay bare the toll of plastic on wildlife; the dead albatross, its stomach bursting with refuse. The turtle stuck in a six-pack ring, its shell warped from years of straining against the tough plastic. The seal snared in a discarded fishing net. 

But most of the time, the harm is stealthier. Flesh-footed shearwaters, large, sooty brown seabirds that nest on islands off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, eat more plastic as a proportion of their body mass than any other marine animal, researchers say. 

One industry that has a lot to answer for when it comes to this plastic waste? The beauty industry. Did you know only 50% of the packaging used in our bathrooms gets recycled, compared to 90% in the kitchen?  That’s why this year, we’ve teamed up with Selfridges and their Project Ocean scheme in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London to launch a collection in their Project Ocean Beauty Booth. The booth is showcasing zero waste, plastic free bathroom alternatives to help people to make the move to a lower impact bathroom and beauty routine. You can find the booth in their London, Manchester and Birmingham stores for the next 6 weeks! 

When you read the stats, it may all sound doom and gloom but there is so much that each and every one of us can do to inspire a worldwide fight against plastic pollution. Here are our top 5 ways that we can all help protect our oceans: 

 

  1. Say no to single use plastic

If you’re here and you’re already an Acala customer you’re probably already doing your bit to fight single use plastic. Carrying a reusable water and coffee cup, using a reusable carrier bag, choosing loose fruit and vegetables.. the small things really do count. When it comes to comes to making changes in your health and beauty routine we recommend taking a product a month and trialling what works for you. We choose all our products to match the experience of the conventional product you are likely already using to make the switch as easy as possible for you! To help out, this world oceans day we’re offering 15% off everything at Acala until midnight 9 June to help you get started. Just use the code OCEANS15.

 

  1. Buy sustainable fish and seafood

For many of us, fish and seafood are enjoyed, nutritious elements of our diets. The bad news on fish is that we’re running out of many of the species we know and enjoy, the good news is there are plenty of other fish in the sea. If fish is part of your diet opt for more locally sourced and sustainable options such as hake, dab, mackerel or pollack. If you're unsure if the fish you want to buy is sustainable, look it up in the Marine Conservation Society's Good Fish Guide.

 

  1. Take part in a beach clean (or start your own)

We live on an Island are never that far from a coastline. Plan a trip to the seaside for an afternoon of litter picking or join a community beach clean event. You can find out about beach cleans near you via the National Trust Website.

 

  1. Support charities caring for our oceans

Discover and support the work of awesome organisations The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and Plastic Oceans UK. Some of the brands we work with at Acala have relationships with these organisations and by supporting them you are directly giving to these charities. Earth Conscious for example donate a percentage of profits to MCS.

 

  1. Talk about the oceans

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to help protect the oceans is talk about them. Whilst having a day like World Ocean’s Day is brilliant for getting people talking, let’s keep the conversation going for the other 364 days of the year! Lead my example and spread the word in your local community. 

And don’t  forget, if you’re keen to start reducing plastic waste in the bathroom we’re offering 15% off everything at Acala until midnight 9 June. Just use the code OCEANS15.

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