It started with the concept of Plastic Free July, now three Australian ocean conservationists have come together with Corona and Parley for the Oceans to help put a stop to marine plastic pollution.
Marine biologist Laura Wells, who lives in Maianbar and ran a clean up group every Sunday at North Cronulla Beach, conservationist Tim Silverwood and Oceans photographer, Craig Parry, have dedicated their lives towards raising awareness about the effect of pollution on the ecosystem and how our everyday actions are impacting the oceans.
“Our love affair with single use plastics need to stop,” Laura said
“That coffee cup we use for 10 minutes, the straw we use for two. The plastic water bottles we buy every Saturday at sport and then throw in the garbage or leave on the ground, they are all damaging our environment and our future.
“Each time you use your reusable bags or your reusable coffee cup and say no to a straw, you are subconsciously setting an example for those around you to do the same thing.”
They will join forces to provide local support for a recently announced global initiative which aims to protect 100 islands from marine plastic pollution by 2020 in six countries around the world, including Australia.
Laura ,Tim and Craig were selected by Corona for their passion and understanding of the issues facing our oceans and our lives.
Their role will be to help educate Australians on the scale of the problem and what we can all do as communities and individuals to make a difference.
“Challenges like ocean pollution are not solved by one person or one company. As with our global partnership with Parley for the Oceans, we need to work with local partners who understand the issue and can help rally Australians to take action to save our oceans,” said Andy Vance, marketing manager for Corona.
Tim, Laura and Craig will work in consultation with the two organisations to implement Parley’s signature AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign).
They will initially focus on the Avoid phase, which aims to educate local communities to reduce and replace their daily use of plastic with alternative materials.
In particular, they will be encouraging Australians to consider their current plastic consumption and commit to reducing their plastic use by making a pledge of their own and sharing on their Facebook or Instagram pages.
“It's up to each one of us to make the switch, we can't just Leave it to our neighbours or the future generations because it will be too late,” Laura said.
“I want to be able to say I did everything in my power to leave a beautiful, healthy planet, for future generations to see and experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, to know the true value of their environment.
“Do we want to be about tomorrow, or do we want to be about yesterday? We need to stop thinking individually and start thinking globally.
“Be a great role model for your children and those around you. Make the easy changes now. It's up to each and every one of us, no one is immune from being a good citizen.”