I Dress Myself

Saving a square mile of sea

The amount of plastic waste in the sea - an average of 46,000 bits of plastic float on or near the surface of every square mile of sea - is enough to shock anyone. Fran Crowe decided to do something about it and vowed to "save" a square mile of sea. She spent a year collecting 46,000 pieces of rubbish from the beaches near her home in Suffolk and the plastic she collected is being exhibited at Landguard Fort in Felixstowe. I heard Fran on the radio the other morning talking about the 46,000 challenge, which she hopes will raise awareness for the plight of seabirds and other marine life. It's estimated that the death of more than a million seabirds and over 100,000 marine mammals every year are caused by entanglement with, or the swallowing of plastic litter. Plastic takes a thousand years to break down in the sea (and even then it's still present as microscopic fibres). The amount of plastic waste in the sea is thought to be doubling every three years. A very scary thought.

Doing your bit doesn't have to be hard; the main things are to avoid plastic packaging and carrier bags and take your rubbish home with you. Last year Modbury town in Devon was the first town in Europe to ban the distribution of plastic carrier bags. The scheme was a huge success and many towns and communities have since followed. We printed a limited edition Ode to Modbury Town tote bag designed by Conway and Young to highlight and promote the cause.

You can find out more about the 46,000 challenge and see lots of photos and figures for what was found where at Fran's website.

Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Saturday 5 July 2008