In partnership with our friends at Love Beauty and Planet & Love Home and Planet, 26 Surfrider Chapters hosted beach cleanups across the country to celebrate World Oceans Day. Love Beauty and Planet & Love Home and Planet are on a mission to inspire #smallactsoflove to make the planet a little cleaner, greener and more beautiful - and this World Oceans Day was no exception. On Saturday, we joined thousands of volunteers in saying YES to protecting what we all love: our ocean, waves and beaches! Rain or shine, inspired by the collective movement in support of a healthy coastline, volunteers from coastal and inland communities, of all ages and of all backgrounds came together to roll up their sleeves and give back.
Based on current rates, some studies predict that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight. Plastics do not biodegrade in our lifetime, but instead break down into small particles that persist in the ocean and enter the food chain through fish, sea birds and marine animals. From Oak Park, Illinois to Corpus Christi, Texas and Santa Monica, California to Asbury Park, New Jersey 1,569 volunteers removed 7,332 pounds of this trash and plastic from coastlines. That's more than to 3.5 TONS! This trash- that could have landed in the ocean- will be sorted and recycled via proper bins, recycling facilities and other recycling off sites. Surfrider chapters reported that the types of trash collected consisted of rope which dangers marine life as they can get tangled in it, microplastics that many animals ingest, plastic bottles, bottle tops and cutlery. World Oceans Day is a day not just for giving back but an opportunity to raise awareness that every day we can make small changes to our daily habits - small acts of love - in support of a healthy planet.
In addition to the nationwide beach cleanups, this moment is also significant, as Love Beauty and Planet is launching NEW haircare products inspired by its commitment to protect the planet and its oceans. The Clean Oceans Edition hair care line is packaged in 100% ocean-bound plastic found in close proximity to coastlines, beaches and waterways that could have ended up in oceans - much like the trash picked up at these beach cleanups. Plus, their NEW shampoo bars shampoo and condition hair and are packaged in a plastic-free recyclable carton. You can find these items at Target starting in July 2019.
In the same vein of providing products that make you (or your home!) and the planet more beautiful, Love Home and Planet’s Re-Wear Dry Spray was also created with water preservation in mind. Did you know that 40% of clothes we wash could really be worn again before laundering? Their Re-Wear Spray is a refreshing spray reduces wrinkles – powered by compressed air, not greenhouse gases – and is designed to revive worn clothes instantly, and helps them look, feel and smell refreshed, without using up the resources of laundering. Happy World Oceans Day!