It’s easy to envision the ocean as endless, vast, and empty. But in reality, our oceans are teeming with life. Billions of people worldwide rely on them every single day – and careless dumping of plastic pollution threatens to put countless lives (and livelihoods) into jeopardy. Case in point: At the current rate of pollution, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.

But what can we do as regular people? Combating climate change is a colossal effort, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed thinking about it. But there are steps anyone can take that can make our daily routines a little more environmentally-friendly. After all, one drop of water might not be much… but put enough drops of water together, and you get an ocean.

In this episode of Sustainability @ Work, we’re discussing the importance of ocean cleanup, how everyday actions can empower us in the fight against climate change, and how one organization is stepping up to aid local communities and keep plastics out of the ocean.

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Key Quotes

0:33: “The problem is that we're destroying this very thing that brings us life.”

2:58: “In the UK, for example, the average Briton consumes about 150 plastic bottles every year.”

4:07: “[You hear about the impact of pollution], and you're just thinking, ‘Somebody has to do something about this.’”

6:02: “[The ocean] is an environment we are being allowed to be in, and so with that, you need to respect it and leave no traces… leave it better than when you went in it.”

7:54: “What would you do if your sink was overflowing? Would you start mopping the floor, or would you go and rush to the top and turn it off? [Ocean Bottle’s] goal is really to ‘turn off the tap’ of ocean-bound plastic.”

9:07: “Every single one of [Ocean Bottle’s] products funds the collection of 11.4 kilos of ocean bound plastic, which is equivalent to 1000 plastic bottles in weight.”

14:06: “It doesn't occur to me to go buy a million water bottles anymore, right? If you thought about how much water we drink, that would probably equate to 10 plus regular plastic water bottles a day.”

16:28: “I think it really goes to show that to create the biggest change, we don't need a few people doing good perfectly, but actually, you need millions doing it simply.”

19:28: “[Ocean Bottle has] provided income opportunities for over 5000 collectors and their families… in over 300 communities across Brazil, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Philippines.”

21:42: “I would just encourage everyone to never think that they can't have an impact on something. So no matter how small it is, it's one more person doing that thing doing that action. And so collectively, we really do make a difference.”