Our Ocean needs your Help! – The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations

Courtesy of : www.surfrider.org

Help keep our ocean clean by refusing to use Single-use Plastics!

Small islands, like Saint Lucia, depend on the ocean and coastal resources for food, sustaining ecosystems and biodiversity, offering opportunities for trade, transport and communication, and supporting tourism and recreation. But marine debris, especially plastics, is wreaking havoc on this precious asset!

It is expected that, in just over 30 years (by 2050), plastic trash in the ocean will outweigh all the fish in the sea. In order to ensure the health and safety of our communities and future generations, it is imperative that we take the responsibility to care for the ocean as it cares for us!

We need to take urgent action to stop plastic pollution!!

‘Plastic Free July’ is a campaign designed to increase awareness of the amount of plastic in our lives by encouraging people to eliminate the use of single-use plastic for one month. By encouraging people to be more aware of their plastic use, you can play your part in creating a cleaner world for generations to come.

But why wait until July?

Try some of these easy environmentally-friendly habits to eliminate single-use plastics at your workplace:

Carry and use a reusable bottle, especially for water;
Bring your coffee cup/mug for tea and/or coffee;
Say goodbye to single-use plastic and Styrofoam cups, plates, bowls and cutlery! Pack and eat your lunch in reusable containers;
Adopt reusable sandwich and snack bags;
Say NO to unnecessary plastic and paper waste when buying morning break or lunch (for example, the plastic forks and knives – you’ve got reusable utensils at the office; instead of the stack of napkins offered – one or two are usually enough);
Say NO to the plastic straw!
Encourage caterers to provide reusable dishes, silverware and glasses for meetings, luncheons and other catered events;
Use reusable bags and encourage your peers to do the same! Keep a reusable bag in your desk and/or vehicle in order to avoid having to use plastic bags;

Practice ‘5Rs’ to cut down on single-use plastics around the office — Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Raise awareness:
- Refuse items that you don’t need
- Reduce those you do
- Reuse what you can
- Recycle what’s left
- Raise awareness about

Adopt these tips in the household and in your daily life too! Record your efforts and share with friends and family.

How to make it work:

Buddy up! – choose a buddy who can monitor and vouch for your actions to reduce plastics, and you for theirs. Keep your buddy in check, providing guidance and advice when needed;
Implement a penalty system – design and implement a fair penalty system, charging a small fee (XCD$1.00, for example) for infractions;
Give rewards – provide incentives for using reusable bottles, cutlery, plates, glasses, etc;
Develop and implement a policy to help stem the tide of plastic pollution;
Initiate an organization-wide ban on single-use plastic materials;
Create a sustainability team; and
Share literature about the harmful effects of single-use plastic waste.