So, we’re still playing catch-up from last year (yeah… we know), but we’ve got a new donation for the third quarter (July-September) of 2022. With this donation, we were able to donate a total of $336.27!
We polled a few weeks ago on Instagram about whether or not we should donate to a new organization or one that we’ve already donated to. The results were in favor of choosing new organizations.
So, with that, we would like to introduce The Ocean Cleanup to all of you. They are a non-profit that develops and scales technology to remove plastic from the world's rivers and oceans.
Photo courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup
Their website states,
"Every year, millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans, of which the majority spills out from rivers. A portion of this plastic travels to ocean garbage patches, where it gets caught in a vortex of circulating currents alongside plastic from other sources (e.g. offshore fishing activities). If no action is taken, plastic will increasingly impact our ecosystems, health, and economies."
The Ocean Cleanup’s mission is to remove 90% of the world’s floating ocean plastic pollution by addressing the source—rivers. The Ocean Cleanup estimates 1,000 rivers across the world are primarily responsible for 80% of the plastic pollution flowing directly into our oceans.
One of their technologies, the ‘Interceptor Original,’ is a massive, solar-powered, catamaran-like vessel that autonomously removes plastic from the water through a conveyor belt. They currently have these deployed in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, and California.
Photo courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup
Considering all rivers are different depending on geography, water flow, and other factors, they have developed additional technologies including the Interceptor Barrier and Interceptor Tender. In total, there are 10 interceptors in 6 countries, all of which you can track on their website. Learn more about The Ocean Cleanup online or on their social media pages.
As always, thank you to our customers for helping to support eco-friendly organizations!