Why every day needs to be World Oceans Day

Share

11th Jun 2019

Did you know the plastic in your clothes is polluting the oceans with every wash? That up to 80 per cent of the oxygen we breathe comes from marine life? And that our oceans could be dead by 2048, if we carry on as we are? These are just a few of the stark facts that designer-turned-activist Cyrill Gutsch – who founded non-profit Parley for the Oceans in 2012 – is presenting, loud and clear, when we speak ahead of World Oceans Day 2019.

“[It’s] a global plastic emergency,” Gutsch tells. “We are driving species into extinction that have a critical role in keeping the whole environmental system up and running. If we kill all this life out there, it’s very hard for us to exist.” Faced with this chilling prospect, Gutsch is on a definite mission to clean up the oceans, and convince as many people as he can to join him. Parley’s approach to finding solutions is three-fold, encapsulated by its AIR strategy: Avoid plastic; Intercept it from our oceans; and Redesign the material itself.

While most people are aware that single-use plastic is a huge problem, many don’t consider other daily pollutants – the plastic microfibres in clothes, for example, which are released into the environment with every wash. That’s just one of the reasons why the fashion industry is top of Gutsch’s target list. Parley for the Oceans has partnered with brands including Adidas and Stella McCartney, designing collaborative collections using its trademarked upcycled Ocean Plastic®. “You have to get [brands] to be ocean champions,” Gutsch explains.

Here, he tells why every day needs to be World Oceans Day – and the action we need to take to preserve the future of our planet.

On why we need to take action now
“We can’t be the ones causing the extinction of all these species, and the extinction of our own species. This is about our own survival. I think people need to really understand that it’s not only about the future of their kids; it’s about their own future. It’s not a sci-fi scenario anymore; we are already in the sixth mass extinction event.”

Click Here: toulon rugby shop melbourne
World Ocean Day should be every day. Image credit: Parley for the Oceans

On why he’s focusing on plastic
“Plastic is a very visible threat; it’s a symbol of the toxic age we’re living in. [At Parley for the Oceans] we wanted to prove that we could create a huge wave around plastic and make everyone understand this material has to go. We have to stop exploiting the oceans [and] exploiting nature. But plastic is not the only problem; what’s happening with plastic has to happen with every material that is toxic.”

On what the fashion industry can do
“I think the specific challenges of the fashion industry are materials and packaging. What the fashion industry has to do is find replacements for all these toxic materials. I think that’s the biggest opportunity for fashion to make a difference, because the moment the fashion industry uses new materials – let’s call them future materials – they will have an impact on every other industry, because people look towards fashion for inspiration.”

World Ocean Day should be every day. Image credit: Parley for the Oceans

On the small steps everyone can do to help
“You could give up single-use plastic – that could be a first step. The second step could be stop eating so much meat and seafood. And the last step could be reducing your carbon footprint; don’t fly and take the car so often. Everybody can become an ambassador of the cause by changing her or his individual lifestyle. You [don’t have to be] one hundred per cent [sustainable]; if a single action is multiplied by a billion – or by five or seven billion people on this planet – these problems disappear overnight.”

On why we need to move beyond sustainability
“I think it’s about eco-innovation; being a futurist and shaping this planet. We have to start a new economy that is based on new technologies, new materials. That is exciting; that is challenging.”

World Ocean Day should be every day. Image credit: Parley for the Oceans