Donation Campaign at the Boot Show 2019

April 24, 2019

Mission Deep Blue merchandise as donation campaign

At the BOOT show earlier this year, SSI introduced the Mission Deep Blue program. This is a free program that supports the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic environments including oceans, seas, and coasts, and the diversity of underwater plant and animal species. In line with this program, SSI started a donation campaign by selling Mission Deep Blue merchandise at the BOOT show to support the following ecological projects: Sharkproject, Pacific Garbage Screening, and Reef Check.

• Sharkproject is an international initiative to support the protection and research of shark species.
• Pacific Garbage Screening is based on a concept from Marcella Hansch to liberate the ocean from plastic. The idea is to build a floating platform that filters plastic particles out of the water without using nets and without harming the marine life.
• Reef Check is an international program to raise awareness about the dangers to, and protection of, coral reefs.

With this donation campaign, we raised 500€ for each organization to support their good cause. So, what can you do to help protect the ocean? Plastic is everywhere. Every person on the planet consumes about an average of about 40 kilograms of plastic each year.Plastic is now so much a part of our everyday lives that we rely on it for almost everything we do. While many of the plastics we use, have a long-term benefit, too many of them are manufactured for short-term use. This is a huge problem because 150 million tons of plastic waste is ending up in our oceans. And every year another 8 -12 million tons of plastic garbage is added. Plastic waste is a big problem. 

What is plastic?

Plastic is a man-made synthetic or semi-synthetic material. The name originates from the Greek word "plastikos", which means "to mold" or shape. It is lightweight and malleable, which means it can be shaped, cast, or pressed into lots of different and complex shapes. Because it has corrosion-resistant properties, it can be used in harsh environments (like water) that degrade other materials, and it has excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties.

Why reduce plastic use?

While plastic can degrade over time, the majority of plastics produced for mass consumption do not biodegrade. Depending on the type of plastic, scientists estimate that it could take hundreds of years for plastic to degrade from its original form. This means that fishing line discarded from a boat could float around in the ocean for up to 600 years. Therefore, it is crucial that we act now to reduce plastic waste.

Small actions have big impacts

With a wave of plastic waste in front of your eyes, it can be hard sometimes to see how a single person can change this tide. But if everyone plays a small part, we could make a big difference. At the simplest level, plastic use is a personal decision that can lead to large positive changes. You can minimize personal plastic use by:

• Using a reusable shopping bag instead of buying plastic bags
• Utilizing drink bottles or cups and refill from taps
• Choosing items with less packaging
• Saying no to plastic straws and plastic bags

Additionally, you should take the time to inform yourself about what you can do with your plastic waste. If you are interested and want to find out more about what you can do to protect our oceans, sign up for our free Mission Deep Blue program or go to the websites of the projects. Together we can protect our oceans – be part of Mission Deep Blue!