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BritaPlastic pollution in our oceans poses a real threat to whales and dolphins. 56% of all whale and dolphin species, from small fish-eating dolphins to the largest filter feeding whales, have been recorded eating marine plastics they've mistaken for food. Plastic is #NotWhaleFood. Each and every one of us can help to keep the oceans plastic-free and secure a safe future for these amazing creatures.
Between 5 million and 13 million tonnes of plastic leak into the world’s oceans every year. That’s more than the combined weight of every single blue whale on Earth.
A single 1L bottle could break down into enough small fragments to put one on every mile of beach in the entire world.
A single use plastic bottle that makes its way into the ocean can take 450 years to break down, meaning it lives twice as long as a Bowhead Whale – one of the longest living creatures on the planet.
More than 480 billion plastic drinking bottles were sold in 2016 across the world.
Plastic pollution can alter the behaviour of marine creatures, researchers say. The new study, which looked at the interactions between prey and predator and is the first of its kind, found that the behaviour of the common periwinkle towards its natural predator the crab, changed when placed in water that contained tiny plastic pellets. Instead of withdrawing into their shells, as they normally would when picking up the crab’s chemical cues, the periwinkles remained passive. The findings, published in the journal Biology Letters, have implications not only for this species, leaving it vulnerable to predation in the wild, but for other…Read More
A dead sperm whale who washed up on a beach in Indonesia this week was found to have nearly 6kg of plastic inside their body. Whale Stranding Indonesia posted the news online, reporting that “soft plastic, hard plastic, plastic bags, plastic cups, bottled drinks, sandals and raffia” were among the items retrieved from the carcass. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said the incident should raise public awareness. “Many other marine animals may be contaminated and this is very dangerous for us. Plastic waste is a common enemy.” Earlier this year, a study found that most of the…Read More
Prince Charles has renewed calls to rid the world of plastic waste, as he prepares to become a grandfather again. “Finding a way to protect and conserve the ocean and develop a sustainable approach to the blue economy is an urgent priority,” said the heir to the throne this week. “Our grandchildren deserve better. We must save the world from the plastic scourge.” He highlighted the fact that between 5 and 13 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, leading to a time when there will be one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish. The Prince’s…Read More
Packaging producers, retailers and recyclers have joined up with governments and NGOs in a bid to eradicate plastic waste and pollution at source. The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, signed by 290 organisations, including L’Oreal, Mars and Unilever, was unveiled at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali this week. The Commitment, which aims to create a circular economy for plastics, is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with UN Environment, which leads the Global Partnership on Marine Litter and its Clean Seas Campaign. Executive Director Erik Solheim said: “Ocean plastic is one of the most visible and disturbing examples…Read More
Photographer, Mandy Barker has combined her interest in taking pictures and football (or soccer) to highlight the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean and on the shorelines of the world. Her latest, thought-provoking photography project was triggered in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup and uses striking images of washed-up plastic footballs to shed light on the sheer scale of plastic debris. Mandy has been photographing plastic waste for many years and after she put out a request on social media for people around the world to send her footballs that had been found washed up on beaches, over…Read More
EU member states in the European Parliament have voted for a ban on single-use plastics, to come into effect across the Union in 2021. According to one MEP, if nothing is done “by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans”. Items to be outlawed include disposable cutlery and plates, drinking straws, stirrers, cotton buds and balloon sticks. The plans also call for a 25% reduction in the use of plastic food containers by 2025. The EU’s research shows that 4.8m to 12.7m tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year. Some finds its way…Read More
The first evidence of microplastics making their way into humans has been revealed by scientists studying participants from the UK, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Austria. Nine different types of plastic were found in the faeces of every person who took part in the study, 20 microplastic particles in every 10 grams of stool, which suggests humans are swallowing them in food. Plastic in the gut could suppress the immune system and aid transmission of toxins and harmful bugs or viruses, experts believe. The research project is further evidence of the huge negative effect plastic is having on the planet. Most of the plastic found…Read More
Costa Coffee, the UK’s largest coffee chain, has said it will recycle as many disposable cups as it sells by the year 2020. Under the new scheme, 500 million coffee cups a year would be recycled, including some sold by rivals, it said. Currently, a shocking 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown away each year in the UK along, with 99.75% not being recycled. Costa coffee cups are lined with a mixture of plastic and paper which makes them heat and leak-proof. By paying waste collection firms a supplement of £70 per tonne, Costa will encourage them to collect the…Read More
Fairy and Head & Shoulders are both launching new eco-friendly bottles in Tesco stores which will be made from 100% recycled plastic, including plastic found on beaches. Using a completely new method, the brands have found a way to integrate ocean plastic with other recycled plastic for use in their product packaging. Tesco and P&G signed the UK Plastic Pact in April this year, aiming to have all plastic packaging reused, recycled or composted by 2025. The vice president of global sustainability at Procter & Gamble, Virginie Helias, said: “As a leading UK manufacturer and as much-loved brands in the UK, we…Read More
Sportswear company Adidas have pledged to only use recycled plastic in its manufacturing by 2024, said Adidas spokeswoman Maria Culp. Currently, about 50% of Adidas’ products are made from polyester – a popular material in sports clothing due to its sweat resistant properties, and by the Spring/Summer collections in 2019, 41% of the material used will be polyester that has been recycled. This move will eventually save an estimated 40 tons of plastic annually. You can read the full article on Huffington PostRead More
Footage taken by Cameron Hines from South Brisbane Storm Chasers has shown a usually pristine beach in the northern territory of Australia covered in plastic rubbish. The rubbish is believed to have travelled to Yirrkala beach from the coast of Indonesia in strong winds recently, and includes items such as an eski ice box, shampoo bottles, hairbrushes, drink bottles, sports equipment, cigarette lighters and netting. The footage only shows a small area affected, and beaches all across Cape Arnhem have been affected causing 42 local residents to engage in a clean-up initiative to rid the area of over 1600 kilograms of rubbish during July.…Read More
Supermarket Morrisons has started selling fresh goods like fruit and vegetables in paper bags rather than plastic ones, in a bid to cut down on unnecessary plastic packaging. They say that this move will reduce the number of plastic bags being used every year by 150 million. All of the major supermarkets have started to take steps against plastic pollution, as the UK has a target to ban avoidable waste by 2042. They says its new paper bags are made from 100% recyclable paper. They will have a see-though paper strip – so that customers and staff can identify the produce…Read More
Some heartbreaking news. A study has carried out by the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute in Athens has found that most of the endangered sperm whales that have been found dead in the eastern Mediterranean since 2001 have been killed by plastic debris. Of the 24 carcasses found in Greek waters, post-mortem examinations carried out on 9 of the whales showed their stomachs to have been obstructed with huge amounts of plastic rubbish, including supermarket shopping bags. One of the young males that were examined had ingested over 100 items of plastic, including a plastic bag from a kebab shop 500 miles…Read More
A blog by Elspeth Shears, a residential volunteer at the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre in Spey Bay. Our visitor centre is on the Moray Firth, north east Scotland, home to the most northerly population of bottlenose dolphins in the world. With the Scottish sun shining up above on a beautiful Sunday in Moray, Scotland, more than 60 eager volunteers gathered at WDC’s Scottish Dolphin Centre ready for an afternoon of beach cleaning at Spey Bay to celebrate our partnership with 4Ocean – a company whose bracelets made from recycled ocean plastic help to fund beach cleans around the world, and support the work of charities…Read More
CHILE is to become the first nation in the Americas to ban retailers from using plastic bags. The initiative introduced by President Sebastian Pinera is aimed at protecting the country’s 4,000-mile coastline. Chileans use more than 3.4 million plastic bags a year, according to the environment ministry, and most get dumped in landfills or find their way to the ocean. The measure, which Congress has approved unanimously, gives large retailers and supermarkets six months to comply, and small and medium-size businesses, including neighbourhood shops, will have two years to abide by the new rules. Until then they are allowed to hand…Read More
Vancouver is the first major city in Canada to ban single-use plastic following overwhelming support from the community and businesses. Plastic straws, polystyrene foam cups and take-away containers will no longer be distributed after June 1, 2019. The Zero Waste 2040 plan which aims to eliminate the disposal of solid waste was passed unanimously by Vancouver City Council. The Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy is in response to feedback from large and small businesses and residents who agreed that bold actions were needed to address the problem of single-use materials. There was overwhelming support for a ban on foam cups and fast-food…Read More
Rescuers in Thailand have failed to save a pilot whale after it swallowed 80 plastic bags. The small male mammal was found barely alive in a canal near the border with Malaysia. A veterinary team battled to stabilise it as helpers used buoys to keep it afloat and an umbrella to shield it from the sun, but the whale died four days later having vomited five plastic bags during the rescue attempt. An autopsy revealed 80 plastic bags weighing up to 8kg (18Ib) in the creature’s stomach according to the country’s department of marine and coastal resources. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine…Read More
Earlier this month, WDC and BRITA UK asked you to help us in our mission to tackle plastic pollution and keep the seas healthy for whales, dolphins and porpoises by telling the Government that action urgently needs to be taken to reduce single use plastic and so reduce plastic pollution in the ocean. Your response was fantastic – nearly 3,500 of you emailed the Government. At one point, we had so many people responding, you even temporarily crashed the notwhalefood.com website! Single-use ‘convenience’ items, such as drinks bottles, coffee cups, plastic cutlery and straws are often only used for a few…Read More
Further evidence of the widespread plastic pollution in the ocean has emerged after a dolphin washed up on a Norfolk beach in the UK was found to have part of a rubber glove in its stomach. A post-mortem on the dead juvenile male Risso’s dolphin revealed the find after being discovered dead on Great Yarmouth South Beach. The young dolphin was thin and showed no evidence of feeding – said to be the ‘most significant factor’ in his or her death. The discovery of the rubber glove parts had ‘not been a causal factor in the dolphin’s death’ said Rob Deaville, a marine biologist…Read More
Some heartbreaking news. A study has carried out by the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute in Athens has found that most of the endangered sperm whales that have been found dead in the eastern Mediterranean since 2001 have been killed by plastic debris. Of the 24 carcasses found in Greek waters, post-mortem examinations carried out on 9 of the whales showed their stomachs to have been obstructed with huge amounts of plastic rubbish, including supermarket shopping bags. One of the young males that were examined had ingested over 100 items of plastic, including a plastic bag from a kebab shop 500 miles…Read More
A plastic bag has been found at the very bottom of the world’s deepest ocean trench, the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, highlighting how ocean pollution has spread. The bag was found by Scientists at 36,000ft (10,898m) and is one of 3,000 pieces of man-made debris dating back 30 years. Teams of international scientists have been working around the world on over 5,000 separate dives, using deep-sea remote vehicles to help in studying what is lying underneath the ocean beds. Over a third of the debris found was micro-plastic, with 89 per cent from single-use products. The full findings of the study…Read More
Have you ever wondered why such a high number of coffee cups aren’t currently recycled? Well the answer is, it’s not actually as easy as people may have thought due to the mixture of paper and plastic in their inner lining. The linings of takeaway cups are put together using materials to make them both heat and leakproof, which means that only a small number of specialist recycling plants in the UK able to process them, and as a result, the vast majority of them (more than 99.75%) do not end up being recycled. That’s a pretty staggering number, considering that…Read More
We are delighted to announce that WDC and BRITA UK’s #NotWhaleFood project has been shortlisted for a Fundraising Week Business Charity Award. The Awards celebrate partnerships between charities and companies that are helping to create a real and positive change and winners will be announced at the end of May. WDC’s partnerships manager, Abbie Cheesman, said: “We are so excited that our #NotWhaleFood project has been nominated for such a prestigious award and that the fantastic support we have received from BRITA has been recognised in this way. It’s a priority for WDC to tackle ocean plastics as they pose a…Read More
One of the key aims of WDC’s #NotWhaleFood project is to celebrate great ideas to help reduce ocean plastic pollution. Up to 95% of the plastic in our ocean that poses a threat to the health of whales and dolphins comes from our towns and cities, which makes its way into waterways and drains – often as a result of overflowing or unsecured wheelie bins. With over 1.5 billion wheelie bins worldwide although this is an issue that WDC feels needs urgent attention. As is the same for many households and businesses across the UK, the bins at WDC’s Scottish Dolphin…Read More
Soon, people in England will have to pay a deposit when they buy cans and bottled drinks, in a bid to improve recycling and cut down on the amount of waste produced. Although initially this will mean a slight increase in the price of these drinks, this money will be returned if people return containers, including single-use glass and plastic bottles and steel and aluminium cans. In the ocean, a single plastic bottle can take 450 years to break down, and once it does it never completely disappears. The micro-particles of plastic remain and attract toxic chemicals, often being eaten by…Read More
The government has refused to make any decision on action for the use of single use coffee cups, saying that they favour voluntary action rather than bringing in new rules. This includes scrapping the recommended introduction of a ‘latte levy’, an additional 25p charge on top of the price of a drink with the use of a disposable cup, to reduce their usage and help to fund recycling measures. The Government response suggests instead that coffee shops should offer discounts for customers who bring reusable cups, instead of a levy on disposable cups. In its inquiry, the Committee had heard that a…Read More
British diver Rich Horner has captured and shared horrifying clips of himself swimming through a sea of plastic rubbish brought in by ocean currents off the coast of the popular tourist resort of Bali, Indonesia. This footage was shot at Manta Point, a cleaning station for the large rays on the island of Nusa Penida, close to the popular holiday island of Bali. “Plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic cups, plastic sheets, plastic buckets, plastic sachets, plastic straws, plastic baskets, plastic bags, more plastic bags, plastic, plastic,” he says, “So much plastic!” According to the Rivers, Oceans, Lakes and Ecology (ROLE) Foundation…Read More
On Wednesday, the world’s first ever plastic free aisle will open in a supermarket in the Netherlands, in a bid to cut down on plastic pollution. The Amsterdam branch of supermarket chain Ekoplaza will be the first to roll out the new plastic-free aisle, with over 700 plastic-free products available including meat, rice, sauces, dairy, chocolate, cereals, yogurt, snacks, fresh fruit and vegetables. Ekoplaza chief executive, Erik Does said: “We know that our customers are sick to death of products laden in layer after layer of thick plastic packaging. Plastic-free aisles are a really innovative way of testing the compostable biomaterials that offer…Read More
Plastic bottles and straws are to be banned from all Royal estates in the UK. The move is said to have been instigated by the Queen after speaking to television presenter, Sir David Attenborough about the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean. The plan involves gradually phasing out the use of plastic straws in public cafes at Royal estates, and banning them outright in staff dining rooms. Internal caterers at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will now use china plates and glasses, or recyclable paper cups. The Royal Collection cafes will also now have…Read More
Scientists say that plastic is building up in the supposedly ‘pristine’ Norwegian arctic, and say that that plastic litter has been found in almost every area in the Arctic they have looked. Researchers are particularly concerned about huge concentrations of microplastic fragments in sea ice, and studies have shown that up to 234 particles have been found concentrated into just one litre of melted Arctic sea ice. That’s much higher than in the open ocean. Pieces of plastic can be found from areas across the world in the form of wrappers, bottles and bags, but a large proportion of the large…Read More
If you’ve ever shopped in Waitrose or other supermarkets, you’ll have seen a type of black plastic tray which is widely used to package food. Because of the colour, these trays are impossible to be sorted and recycled and as a result often end up in landfill, contributing to the huge spread of plastic waste having a terrible effect on our oceans. To help put a stop to ocean plastic pollution, Waitrose have announced that by next year, they will completely phase out black plastic trays from their packaging. “We’ve set a deadline to completely phase out black plastic from all…Read More
In November, Pret’s CEO Clive Schlee tweeted asking customers, “How do we encourage customers to bring reusable coffee cups to @Pret? We’re thinking of increasing the discount for bringing your own cup from 25p to 50p. Our organic filter coffee would cost just 49p. I’d love to hear your thoughts.” Clive was inundated with suggestions, ideas and feedback. All of them were constructive and the vast majority were supportive. On the basis of this valuable feedback, Pret has (from 1 January 2018) introduced a 50p discount on hot drinks for those who bring in a reusable cup and committed to sourcing…Read More
Join WDC’s CEO Chris Butler-Stroud and our plastics pollution expert Pine Eisfeld-Pierantonio in a live Facebook Q and A, February 1st at 4pm UK (GMT). ‘What will happen if we continue as we are?’ ‘How do plastics affect whales and dolphins?’ ‘What is WDC doing to reduce its use of plastics?’ ‘What can we all do?’ Plastics is the scourge of our oceans. It’s killing whales and dolphins, and threatening the very fabric of the ocean environment. But the tide is turning. Public awareness is at an all time high and there’s a huge amount we can all do; as individuals,…Read More
Wagamama are the latest restaurant chain to announce that they will be ditching single use plastic straws for good! For now the chain has stopped providing plastic straws automatically to customers, and is only handing them out on request or with juices that need stirring across its 128 UK restaurants. From 22nd April 2018, which also marks Earth Day, they will stop providing them at all, and will switch to biodegradable paper alternatives. This move will prevent 7 million plastic straws from being disposed of every year. To read the full story, visit the Independent by clicking here.Read More
Within five years, Iceland have announced that they will replace all plastic packaging on their own brand products with wood pulp and paper alternatives. Packaging on 1,400 product lines will be replaced, and the changes involve more than 250 suppliers, with plastic packaging on ready meals being the first to go. Iceland managing director Richard Walker said yesterday: ‘The world has woken up to the scourge of plastics. A truckload is entering our oceans every minute, causing untold damage to our marine environment and ultimately humanity – since we all depend on the oceans for our survival. The onus is on retailers,…Read More
New Scottish government plans will ban the sale and manufacture of plastic-stemmed cotton buds, following concern about the number of these buds being washed up on beaches, after having been flushed down the loo. Most major retailers have already switched to paper-stemmed buds following a campaign but plastic ones are still being sold, with hundreds of buds being found recently washed up on Gullane Beach in Scotland. Plastic cotton buds have been consistently listed in the top ten forms of beach litter in surveys by the Marine Conservation Society, and Scottish environmental charity Fidra has been working with industry to promote…Read More
Beachcombers and environmental activists were shocked by the scale of plastic waste uncovered in the aftermath of Storm Eleanor. The storm left the Cornish coast choked by waste, with pictures showing rockpools full of plastic and Cornwall’s picturesque beaches fringed by containers and straws. Volunteers helped with the tidy-up for hours as they endeavoured to get the coast clean. One volunteer, James Dixon, said that he picked up 478 pieces of plastic in one hour, and he had seen waste all the way along the beaches in Bude. The Newquay Beachcombing Twitter page videoed a walk down a Cornish beach, showing the sheer…Read More
Researchers have found that The Red Sea has relatively low amounts of floating plastic debris in its surface waters, probably due to fewer sources or faster removal. While mapping global patterns of marine plastic pollution as alarm grows on the issue, a team of researchers led by marine scientist Carlos Duarte from KAUST shows that the level of plastic debris in the Red Sea is relatively low. Samples of floating plastic rubbish were collected by the team from 120 sites along 1500km of shoreline on the eastern margin of the Red Sea during voyages in 2016-2017. Three-quarters of the collected rubbish was rigid fragments of broken…Read More
The 5p charge currently in place for plastic bags in large shops in England could be extended to cover nearly all retailers, as part of government plans for the environment. Michael Gove the Environment Secretary told a cabinet meeting that the government was “determined to tackle the throwaway culture which plastics encapsulate”. Shops with fewer than 250 employees are currently exempt from the charge, which since being introduced in England in October 2015 has cut plastic use. The government is set to unveil its 25-year environment plan on Thursday. Watch this space! For the full story, visit BBC NewsRead More
This Christmas the UK will dispose of 114,000 tonnes of plastic – that’s equivalent to 3.3 million penguins! Christmas is the most wasteful time of year, with high proportions of waste which could be recycled being thrown in the bin instead. Plastics, foil and aerosols are the items most likely to evade the recycling bin and almost two thirds of the UK population say this is caused by uncertainty over what exactly can be recycled. As new estimates emerge on the startling scale of plastic and other waste this Christmas, UK environment and animal welfare charities, including WDC, are calling on…Read More
A worrying new study by marine scientists at the University of Plymouth have found that a single plastic carrier bag could be shredded by marine organisms into around 1.75 million microscopic fragments. The scientists were examining the rate at which bags were broken down by the amphipod ‘Orchestia gammarellus’, which inhabits coastal areas in northern and western Europe, when they discovered that the organisms actually shred the material, also contributing to the spread of microplastics within the marine environment. Scary? Read the full story here.Read More
The BBC’s Blue Planet II series has highlighted the issue of ocean plastic throughout, with breath-taking, heart-breaking and brutally honest images of its impacts. The footage of the mother pilot whale carrying her dead calf for days outraged people. The theory is that the calf had died because the milk from the mother was poisoned with toxins accumulated through the food she had been eating. Pine Eisfeld-Pierantonio, WDC’s Policy officer tells us how this happens. The other day, my family ended up in A&E with my one year old and having rushed out the door, I forgot to take a bottle of…Read More
Over the past few months, Blue Planet II has done wonders helping raise public awareness about the issue of plastic pollution and the effect it has on whales and dolphins around the world. This photo from photographer and WDC Ambassador, Andrew Sutton captures this devastating threat to marine life perfectly. This Risso’s dolphin swimming in the waters off Sri Lanka has fishing net, fishing line, a shopping bag and more items of marine litter caught around his or her tail fluke, slowly severing it. It’s heart-breaking – this shouldn’t happen and can’t continue. The truth is, we are all responsible for…Read More
Researchers have found a practical solution for detecting microplastics in field samples that could allow them to map oceanic waste in unprecedented detail. A fluorescent dye could help scope out the tiniest pieces of garbage in our marine environment, which may help us to find solutions to this growing environmental crisis. You can read the full story hereRead More
Last night, BBC series Blue Planet II highlighted the scale of plastic debris in the oceans, showing albatrosses trying to feed plastic to their young, and a pilot whale carrying her dead calf with her for days in mourning, with scientists believing that the mother’s milk had made poisonous by pollution. In next week’s budget, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, will announce a “call for evidence” on how taxes or other charges on single-use plastics such as takeaway cartons and packaging could reduce the impact of discarded waste on marine and bird life. The environment department is also seeking evidence on how to reduce…Read More
Animals from the deepest places on Earth have been found with plastic in their stomachs, according to a new study led by academics at Newcastle University. Animals from deep trenches across the Pacific Ocean, some of the most remote places on the planet, have been found to be contaminated with fibres that probably originated from plastic bottles, packaging and synthetic clothes. “There is now no doubt that plastics pollution is so pervasive that nowhere – no matter how remote – is immune,” said Dr Alan Jamieson, who led the study. Read the full story on The GuardianRead More
According to new government data, there has been a dramatic rise in the amount of litter found on the seabeds around Britain. An average of 358 litter items were found per square kilometre of seabed in 2016, a 158% rise on the previous year, and 222% higher than the average for 1992-94. Almost 78% of the litter is plastic, 6.3% rubber and 2.7% metal, according to the data published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Natalie Fee, the founder of the City to Sea campaign group, said: “This is sadly yet more evidence that the tide has yet to turn against plastic…Read More
A new study published in the academic journal, Environmental Pollution has revealed the shocking reality of plastic debris polluting the ocean. According to data compiled off the coast of Ireland by researchers at Galway-Mayo IT and University College Cork (in collaboration with IWDG), almost ten per cent of whales, dolphins, and porpoises examined were found to have plastics in their digestive tracts. Furthermore, the study found that 8.5 per cent (45 individuals) of those tested had marine debris in their stomachs and intestines, and that deep-diving species (like Cuvier’s beaked whales), ingested more plastics than those individuals that roam the seas closer…Read More
According to senior Labour MP Mary Creagh, during a meeting at the House of Commons, top scientists have recently found indications of the disruption of hormones in polar bears, causing them to develop two sets of testicles. You can read the rest of this story on Sky NewsRead More
A photographer has captured the damage being done to the planet’s oceans with a shocking “sea of plastic and styrofoam” image taken near a tranquil Caribbean island. Caroline Power, who specialises in underwater photography, has dedicated her career to highlighting the damage plastic waste is doing to our oceans. She said witnessing the plastic blanket of forks, bottles and rubbish between the islands Roatan and Cayos Cochinos, off the coast of Honduras, was “devastating”. “To see something that I care so deeply for being killed, slowly choked to death by human waste was devastating,” she told The Telegraph. “Once the trash is…Read More
The colossal amount of plastic waste from single-use water bottles and other sources equates to more than the combined weight of every single living blue whale (the largest creature ever to have lived on earth) and equal to five grocery bags filled with plastic for every single foot of the world’s coastline. This number is set to double to 10 bags full by 2025. #NotWhaleFood is supported by BRITA and is being backed by Julia Bradbury and Michaela Strachan and kicked off with an urban beach clean with WDC staff and volunteers outside the Houses of Parliament to highlight that up…Read More
Cosmetics giants are trying to persuade the European Union to limit a British ban on plastic poison microbeads. The Government announced plans for a ban on the use of microplastics in all rinse-off cosmetic products earlier this year following the Daily Mail’s Ban The Beads campaign. The proposed ban would cover make-up and mascara which contain tiny pieces of plastic, as well as body and face scrubs. However, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) has lodged a formal objection with the European Commission. The industry body says that any ban should be limited to exfoliating scrubs and claims the proposal…Read More
Soft drinks company accused of ‘refusing to take responsibility for its role in the plastic pollution crisis’ Coca-Cola produced a billion more plastic bottles last year compared to the previous 12 months, according to new analysis. The company does not publish data on the production of its bottles, but a study by Greenpeace found the amount of plastic being used by the soft drinks company has increased. The environmental campaign group said Coca-Cola is now producing more than 110 billion plastic bottles each year. Coca-Cola confirmed there has been an increase in the proportion of its packaging that is plastic bottles. The company says all…Read More
Huge volumes of plastic waste were found during a single-day clean-up in the Russian Arctic. A large plastic pollution clean-up has seen 15 tonnes of plastic waste collected off the coast of the Russian Arctic Ocean in a single day. The shocking discovery was made along the coast of Murmansk in northeast Russia, which was previously considered one of the planet’s most pristine stretches of water. A new organization, The Slava Foundation, has been created to lead a new international effort to raise awareness of the impact of manmade pollution in the Russian Arctic. The clean-up, which was carried out by…Read More
Tiny plastic particles released by synthetic fabrics can cause harm to marine life when they enter rivers and oceans. Each cycle of a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microscopic plastic fibres into the environment, according to a study. A team at Plymouth University in the UK spent 12 months analysing what happened when a number of synthetic materials were washed at different temperatures in domestic washing machines, using different combinations of detergents, to quantify the microfibres shed. They found that acrylic was the worst offender, releasing nearly 730,000 tiny synthetic particles per wash, five times more than polyester-cotton blend…Read More
The pub chain’s decision to do away with straws is expected to stop 70m of them ending up in landfill or the sea every year. Here are some other plastics we perhaps could do without. Drinkers heading to Wetherspoon’s for a tipple will have to do without plastic straws from the end of this year as the cheap (and occasionally cheerful) high-street pub chain does its bit to tackle the problem of global plastic pollution. Following on the heels of companies such as Tesco, which last month announced it would stop selling its 5p single-use plastic bags, Wetherspoon’s senses the tide…Read More
Sea salt around the world has been contaminated by plastic pollution, adding to experts’ fears that microplastics are becoming ubiquitous in the environment and finding their way into the food chain via the salt in our diets. Following this week’s revelations in the Guardian about levels of plastic contamination in tap water, new studies have shown that tiny particles have been found in sea salt in the UK, France and Spain, as well as China and now the US. Researchers believe the majority of the contamination comes from microfibres and single-use plastics such as water bottles, items that comprise the majority of…Read More
Microplastic contamination has been found in tap water in countries around the world, leading to calls from scientists for urgent research on the implications for health. Scores of tap water samples from more than a dozen nations were analysed by scientists for an investigation by Orb Media, who shared the findings with the Guardian. Overall, 83% of the samples were contaminated with plastic fibres. The US had the highest contamination rate, at 94%, with plastic fibres found in tap water sampled at sites including Congress buildings, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters, and Trump Tower in New York. Lebanon and India…Read More
An FAO study finds that more than 100 commercial seafood species ingest microplastic, which can be contaminated with toxins. More worrying are the unknown health effects of even smaller nanoplastics. There’s an estimated 51 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, most of it broken up into bits smaller than the nail on your pinkie finger. Marine animals eat this plastic when they mistake it for fish eggs, plankton and algae. And so do people when they slurp down oysters, consume crab or eat other types of fish and shellfish, according to the latest research on the presence of plastic in fisheries and aquaculture issued by…Read More
Seafood eaters ingest up to 11,000 tiny pieces of plastic every year with dozens of particles becoming embedded in tissues, scientists have warned, in findings described as ‘sobering’ by the Prince of Wales. Researchers from the University of Ghent in Belgium believe that microplastics accumulate in the body over time and could be a long term health risk. And they say the amount of plastic absorbed will only get worse as pollution in the oceans increases, a finding described by the Prince of Wales as ‘sobering.’ The Prince has previously described micro-particles as ‘grey goo.’ Dr Colin Janssen, who led the…Read More
Rosie was so shocked by how much plastic gets put into the oceans and how it affects whales and dolphins that she started… Read More
Emily, who is a student at Glen Urquhart High School, has been doing amazing things to cut down on plastic pollution at school.… Read More
Skip The Plastic StrawChloe Mei is the founder of Skip The Plastic Straw, a campaign and website dedicated to stopping the use of… Read More
Shia runs an inspirational blog called Wasteland Rebel all about her plastic free life, and with tonnes of tips and inspiration about how… Read More
Taking one step at a time Penzance is showing the way to become Britain’s first plastic-free town and now 330 other towns aim to follow… Read More
We think SEGA are absolute heroes for getting their staff together to hold their own #UrbanBeachClean on World Oceans Day (8th June) near… Read More
The entire school recently carried out a beach clean and are opening a conservation club ‘Sustaining Life Below Water’. It was founded by… Read More
Jamie was so inspired by WDC to use refillable cups by reading WDC’s Splash! magazine, that he went out with his gran (and… Read More
#PlasticsHero Rosina recently wrote to 20 restaurants asking these restaurants to stop giving out plastic straws! On top of that, Rosina adopts Midnight… Read More
Avid diver and photographer, Saeed, witnessed the perils of the oceans plastics first-hand, stepping in and saving a Hawksbill turtle who had swallowed… Read More
Rosie makes the switch to environmentally friendly straws. Change.org member, Rosie, created a petition to her local supermarket, Morrisons, to switch plastic straws… Read More
Students at Channing High Junior School got together on their charity day recently to do an #UrbanBeachClean in their local area. “The girls… Read More
Jacky believes raising awareness is crucial and that any contribution helps, that is why she picks up plastic on the beach every day. “I… Read More
Dylan is a young filmmaker from the San Juan Islands who took on a journey to learn all about plastic pollution and how… Read More
Proof that every person can make a positive contribution to tackling #oceanplastics. #Plasticshero Lis is single-handedly taking on her local supermarket in Skye… Read More
Inspired by the Blue Planet II episode that highlighted the devastating effect of ocean plastics on whales and dolphins, 9 year old Joe… Read More
9 year old wildlife fan Lilly started out clearing plastic to help the the environment – now she’s inspiring people of all ages… Read More
A true #PlasticsHero. The amazing Wayne Dixon and his dog, Koda, have walked over 2,000 miles of the UK’s coastline, collecting rubbish all… Read More
Inspired by #PlasticsHero and WDC supporter Caroline, who has been taking on the issue of council bins overflowing in her (rather windy!) local… Read More
@FalmouthUni #fineart student Emily from @osullivandots has been using her amazing artistic talents to raise awareness of the dangerous effects of #plasticpollution on… Read More
Essentials for today’s training with @CornishPirates1. @samurai_sports kit, @adidas boots and BRITA #fill&go. #NotWhaleFood Read More
Nominated by a WDC supporter called Helen – WDC’s Scottish Dolphin Centre volunteers are “inspirational to the youngsters who visit & really try… Read More
Great Scottish Swim – Ready to go into the loch! Keeping hydrated using my @brita Fill & Go bottle! #swapforgood #NotWhaleFood Read More
Coming together to keep beautiful spots in #Cornwall free from #marinelitter. We love our coasts and the wildlife we share it with #NotWhaleFood Read More
#Inspiring! Nicola and Richard run the #zerowaste shop in Totnes, Devon. No #singleuseplastic in sight! #swapforgood Read More
Carrying out research to help @whales_org tackle #plasticpollution and ensure a safe, plastic-free future #NotWhaleFood! Read More
Putting #singleuseplastic to good use! Our WDC #NetPositive Cycling Jersey is made in the UK from recycled plastic bottles #swapforgood #NotWhaleFood Read More
#singleuseplastic accessories making banana & blueberry smoothie taste even better! Positive choices every day! #NotWhaleFood #swapforgood Read More
Get In TouchTo nominate a #PlasticsHero or share your own stories and tips tag us on social media using #NotWhaleFood or get in touch
Students from Bath University and Bath Spa University have joined Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) in an Urban Beach Clean across the City of Bath to highlight the growing problem of plastic pollution in the ocean. The vast majority of the plastic and waste in the ocean (up to 95%) comes not from our beaches, but from our towns and cities where it then threatens whales and dolphins, who often mistake bags and other plastic waste for food. Once ingested, the plastic can cause blockages and result in death. Only this week scientists have highlighted the first proven examples of microplastics…Read More
Having a baby can be a minefield when it comes to trying to avoid buying and using plastic. So, WDC’s plastics expert Pine has been busy putting together her best tips and alternative products for new mums and dads who want to cut down on the amount they throw away: 1. CHANGING BAGS The German company Laessig produces stylish and functional changing bags made from recycled PET bottles. I have had my Laessig changing bag for over five years (two kids) now and used it pretty much every day, and only the handle shows its age! 2. CLOTH NAPPIES There are…Read More
Whether it’s looking into compostable coffee pods, researching the best shampoo bars or checking out plastic free golf balls we spend a lot of time looking for ways to help reduce how much single use plastic we use so we can share this with you. As well as our passion for protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises the team here all have something else in common – we adore our pets and companion animals. And we aren’t alone – there are an estimated 51 million pets in the UK, including our very own Marty, Nando, Moo, Bertie, Gem, Willow and two separate…Read More
Alongside watching whales and dolphins, one of WDC’s wonderful Scottish Shorewatch volunteers Steve Truluck and his dog Riley have been collecting garbage from their local beaches for a while now, to stop plastic pollution from making its way into the ocean. Steve and Riley came across this idea when they heard about the simple and easy ‘My Walk, My Bag!’ campaign which was set-up by Highland Dogblog, and aims to inspire dog walkers to pick up litter while out on their daily walkies. ‘It can be done and has been done all over the world!’ says Steve. You can read blog…Read More
A frustrating number of the items we use every day are made from plastic. If you’re not convinced, try to go plastic free for a week! But finding alternatives to plastic products needn’t be a daunting task. In fact, taking it one step at a time can be fun! At WDC’s Scottish Dolphin Centre, we hosted an evening talk on the problem with plastics. We had a chat about the challenges we face and what we can do about them, and then moved onto a workshop in which we made our own beeswax wraps as alternatives to cling film. Beeswax wraps…Read More
This week, we’d like to highlight some inspirational plastics heroes who are going above and beyond to make a change! Every single time Thomas and Sigrid Wilson go shopping, they always turn down plastic bags and in certain cases even ask the shop to remove plastic wrapping and make a point to ask them to ensure that they are recycling this. Thomas has written to 30 local schools asking them if they have a programme to increase awareness of plastic pollution amongst pupils and is including details of WDC’s #NotWhaleFood campaign and our work in general. If they don’t have a…Read More
Until the end of June, our partner Ethical Superstore are supporting us by making us their feature give-at-checkout charity, and we’re running a competition with them where you have the chance to win some plastic-busting products from their online shop! All you need to do to enter is: Sign up to the #NotWhaleFood e-newsletter if you haven’t already (you can do this here: https://notwhalefood.com/#contact) Comment on our Facebook post telling us what you’ve done recently to try and cut down on ocean plastic by clicking here, or if you don’t have a Facebook account, email your answer to notwhalefood@whales.org The competition will…Read More
Our bathrooms are one of the worst places for plastic packaging – shampoo and conditioner bottles, toothpaste tubes and shower gel dispensers are all made from single use plastic – some of which can’t be recycled. As part of her personal challenge to cut down on the single use plastic that she and her family use, WDC’s plastics expert, Pine, has been busy perfecting some homemade plastic-busting recipes for some of the most common lotions and potions found in our bathrooms. Want to give Pine’s toothpaste, deodorant and whipped body butter a try? Download the recipes here: How to make your…Read More
WDC now have a brand new exciting partner! Founded by surfers Alex and Andrew out of frustration about the growing accumulation of plastic in our oceans, Florida based 4Ocean is a company that make beautiful bracelets for a really great cause. Made from recycled materials, every bracelet purchased funds the removal of one pound of rubbish from the ocean and coastlines. In less than two years, 4Ocean has removed 580,394 pounds of trash from the ocean and coastlines. What’s more, throughout 2018 they have committed to supporting an important environmental initiative every month, to which they will give 10% of the…Read More
Recently, staff members from WDC set off to Bristol to take on a big #UrbanBeachClean with the lovely team at PADI and Project AWARE. Up to 95% of litter in our oceans comes from inland sources such as towns and cities, and is swept out in rivers and waterways, which means that wherever you are in the world you can make a real difference to whales and dolphins by picking up litter in your local area before it’s too late! Throughout the day, groups of staff went exploring the roads and car parks around the PADI offices and an astounding amount…Read More
South England nursery chain ‘Tops Day Nurseries’ have recently banned using glitter across all 19 of their nurseries. We got in contact with Cheryl Hadland, Managing Director of Hadland Care Group, to find out why. Q. How did you arrive at the decision to limit plastic use at Tops Day Nurseries? A. I was on a scuba diving trip in Belize with a guy called David Jones, who was the diving supervisor (and camera man and exec. Advisor) on the film “A Plastic Ocean” and a conversation started when he commented positively on my reusable plastic water bottle which I was…Read More
Your chance to take action where you live to support WDC’s #NotWhaleFood project Whether you live in a large city or a small rural community, why not join WDC supporters and staff all over the country and organise an #UrbanBeachClean this spring? WDC is giving away 30 free #UrbanBeachClean starter packs, which include a ‘how to’ guide, bags, gloves and an exclusive #NotWhaleFood t-shirt designed by our friends at ethical clothing company, Rapanui. Whether you are planning on getting together with a handful of friends or neighbours to clean your street or local park, or are planning a bigger event at…Read More
On Thursday 1st February at 4pm, Nicola Hodgins and Pine Eisfield-Pierantonio from WDC’s policy & research team went live on Facebook to talk about plastics, and to answer a wide array of supporter questions about the issue. The topics covered included questions like ‘who is responsible for plastic pollution, and how does plastic end up in the ocean?’, ‘what are the threats to whales and dolphins, and what are the threats to humans?’ and ‘why can some plastics not be recycled, and how can you tell what can and can’t be recycled?’ Why not watch the full video here: (function(d, s,…Read More
Plastic straws are one of the main culprits when it comes to plastic pollution in our oceans, along with plastic bottles and food containers. A recent study by Seas at Risk showed that in the EU we use 36.4 billion plastic drinking straws every year, most of which are only used for a few minutes. Sadly, many of these straws end up in our oceans where they can cause harm to marine life and break down into smaller pieces which enter the food chain. You can see the devastating impact that a single straw can have on wildlife in this video…Read More
The winter holidays are a time when family and friends come together, catch up and reminisce on the year gone by. A topic we suspect featured in many conversations around Christmas was Blue Planet II, the amazing BBC series narrated by David Attenborough, which transported us from our sofas, beneath the surface of our planet’s spectacular oceans. Fresh into 2018 we suspect many people made resolutions with a focus on reducing their single use plastic consumption, but if you haven’t, don’t worry! Many of the top resolutions can also help give the world’s oceans a helping hand. Here’s how. Get fit!…Read More
Natalie Fee, the founder of City to Sea, recently did an inspiring talk at TEDxBristol about the impact for our oceans of flushing non-disposable items down the loo. Watch the video below for some new year inspiration and tips on how to be more environmentally friendly at home! Want to hear more about tackling plastic? Listen to our CEO chat with leading ethical beauty brand, Lush, by clicking here.Read More
An artist from Singapore called Tan Zi Xi has created an installation called “Plastic Ocean,” which shows how it feels to live in an ocean in which the surface is completely covered in a layer of plastic rubbish. Working with hundreds of pieces of plastic items which are known to pollute our planet’s oceans, this installation shows viewers exactly where their single use plastic ends up and how it invades the habitat of whales, dolphins and other sea creatures. Read the full article here Image Credit – MESSYMSXI/Instagram pageRead More
Marine pollution – plastic especially – is everywhere. Last week, Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s chief-executive Chris Butler-Stroud and Policy Officer Pine Eisfeld-Pierantonio spoke to Charlie Moores from Lush Digital about the impact pollution has on whales and dolphins – and ultimately, perhaps, us. “We have a responsibility to speak up for them and ensure that we are protecting that shared environment so that they can thrive and actually as they thrive we will thrive – we just need to stand up, stand together, and make some small choices in our lives…” You can listen to the full interview by heading to…Read More
WDC strongly believe that single use plastic is an issue that all businesses, consumers and organisations across society must work together to solve. The creators of our exclusive #NotWhaleFood t-shirts, Rapanui Clothing, explain how they are helping – one t-shirt at a time. Make a pledge to reduce your own plastic use and you could get a free Teemill t-shirt. Find out more below. The consequences of our current plastics-focused economy are potentially severe, and the failings in our current approach pose a real danger not just to the whales and dolphins WDC is fighting to protect, but to all marine life. Awareness…Read More
Last Sunday’s episode of Blue Planet 2 showed the devastating effects that plastic pollution can have on whales and dolphins. If you are one of the thousands of people who were touched by the tragic story of the pilot whale mother and calf (who most likely died as a result of toxins in her mother’s milk) and have been inspired to help tackle the issue of ocean plastics, we have put together a list of our top 5 positive changes you can make today. 1. Refuse plastic shopping bags and invest in reusable bags which you can use each time you…Read More
Finally, a plastic free supermarket in London. Ingrid Caldironi has taken the issue of plastic pollution into her own hands by opening London’s very first plastic free shop. Bulk Market stocks more than 300 items, and it’s not just food. Alongside dried goods there are bamboo toothbrushes, paper-wrapped toilet roll and even dog food! You just need to take along your empty containers, and fill them up! Read more about Bulk Market hereRead More
Everything you need to know about the ocean plastic problem in 3 minutes Since launching #NotWhaleFood we’ve been amazed at the response we’ve received from people wanting to find out more about the problem and ways in which they can make a positive impact both through their everyday choices, and volunteering. Ocean plastic pollution is huge (and sometimes complicated) issue, with new facts and figures being published regularly about the scale of the problem and the impact on both marine wildlife and humans. We are also learning more every day about the ways that plastic is finding its way into the…Read More
WDC are delighted to be working with BRITA on #NotWhaleFood to help raise awareness of the positive steps we can all take to help tackle the problem of single use plastic – which poses a real danger to whales and dolphins. BRITA has a strong commitment to sustainable business, with more than 50 years’ experience of providing a convenient and environmentally sustainable source of filtered water to customers at home and on the go. BRITA’s Fill&Go water bottles are designed with reducing the use of disposable products like single-use plastic bottles in mind. WDC are proud to work with a brand that…Read More
Renowned wildlife photographer Justin Hofman captured this amazing image highlighting the growing problem of marine litter last year whilst snorkelling. The photo is now a finalist in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition from the Natural History Museum in London. Justin said: It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started as an opportunity to photograph a cute little sea horse turned into one of frustration and sadness as the incoming tide brought with it countless pieces of trash and sewage. This sea horse drifts long with the trash day in and…Read More
You’ve taken the pledge to cut down on single use plastic and now have a shiny new refillable water bottle – hooray! Now you need the Refill app! Refill is a national, practical tap water campaign that aims to make refilling your bottle as easy, convenient and cheap as possible by introducing Refill points on every street in the UK. Friendly cafes, shops, hotels and businesses all over the country are welcoming you in to refill your water bottle – for free! Refill schemes are currently running in Bristol, Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Bath and Bradford-on-Avon with Brighton, Norwich and Hunstanton launching…Read More
The pub chain’s decision to do away with straws is expected to stop 70m of them ending up in landfill or the sea every year. Here are some other plastics we perhaps could do without.
Drinkers heading to Wetherspoon’s for a tipple will have to do without plastic straws from the end of this year as the cheap (and occasionally cheerful) high-street pub chain does its bit to tackle the problem of global plastic pollution.
Following on the heels of companies such as Tesco, which last month announced it would stop selling its 5p single-use plastic bags, Wetherspoon’s senses the tide is turning against unnecessary plastics and claims that the move will stop 70m plastic straws finding their way into landfill or the world’s oceans every year.
But much more needs to be done. Scientists warn that plastic pollution risks near–permanent contamination of the planet. This bleak prediction is borne out as news emerges, seemingly every week, that plastic is already finding its way into anything and everything – from fish to tap water to salt.
Since the 1950s, humans have produced 8.3bn tonnes of plastic – equivalent in weight to one billion elephants – and it will last for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Plastic has undoubtedly brought some benefits but much of it is pure indulgence and scientists warn that its prevalence – in everything from teabags to clothes – is destroying our oceans and having unknown health consequences for humans and wildlife.
The answer then is to rage against this stupidity with every (natural) fibre of your being until politicians and corporations are forced to change course. Continue reading here
