You pass trash every day. Most likely it did not come from you but we should all do our part to pick up for the rest of humanity. Sometimes there is so much litter the feat seems impossible, but removing one piece of garbage from entering our frail ecosystems makes a difference. Every wandering straw or plastic bag has the capacity to kill another living being.
I can do it (pictured here) and so can you.
Since I was a kid I scoured the beach for seashells, coral fragments, and seaweed to try to identify the species. Nowadays that waterline looks especially different and few people will disagree. I was at the beach a few weeks ago and it took me all of five meters of my stroll before I found a plastic bag drunkenly swaying in the surf. I picked it up and quickly began to fill it with straws, caps, and other bags. Other beachgoers saw me and immediately picked up pieces in their vicinity to contribute to my collection. Some parents encouraged their children, others found their own bags. That day alone at least a dozen shopping bags worth of trash were stopped from (re)entering the sea.
It is seriously no sweat off your back, just bend down.
I was walking along the beach anyway and I chose to pick up trash rather than shake my head and think “what a shame.” For years now I have been doing the same on my walk to work or my jog through the park. Not surprisingly litter is usually only within a few meters from a public waste bin. I also usually keep two or three old bags folded in my backpack so I can pick up something “questionably gross” or if I have more than one handful. Honestly, it just feels good to know you can make a direct and immediate impact.
Aim bigger and the results will pay off.
If cleaning your immediate surroundings feels good, make an event on Facebook. Pick a beach, a park, riverside, or patch of highway. Pick a date. Invite friends. Then ask local businesses if they want to pitch in. It usually just takes one person to get the ball rolling and everyone will follow. In the spirit of World Oceans Day I just created two events in Bangkok: an Environmental Networking Happy Happy Hour and a Bangkok Riverside Cleanup. June 6 and 9, 2018. If you are in the area you should definitely join. If not, consider starting your own event. If you don’t take the first step in your community, who will?
If you need any ideas on how to start a cleanup near you or would like SEVENSEAS Media to promote your event for free, please email me!
Here at SEVENSEAS Media, we do everything we can to educate and inspire nature lovers, professionals, and students of today and tomorrow. We love the work we do and we hope you love and share our message. Please consider a tax deductible donation to help us carry our mission forward through 2018 and beyond.
Safe travels and happy swimming,
Giacomo Abrusci
Executive Director, SEVENSEAS Media