It couldn’t really be simpler: For one month, try to produce lesstrash. And the group’s not talking about anything drastic like giving up toilet paper; instead, it’s about thinking twice about those individual bags of popcorn, or reconsidering buying that bottle of water. “When it comes to producing less trash, everybody has the best of intentions,” says Sara Thomas, Ocean Conservancy senior manager of digital marketing. “So we don’t want to make people feel guilty but excited.” By signing up through the Ocean Conservancy website, you’ll receive weekly e-mails with an easy trash-free tip for the week, like using reusable bags. Plus, you can even win stuff for your trash-reducing efforts, like tote bags made out of recycled plastic bottles. The Trash-Free Challenge also offers a unique way to better understand what’s happening in our seas. Ocean Conservancy’s lead marine debris specialist Nick Mallos will be spending the entire month traveling almost five thousand miles from Japan to Hawaii to get a better idea of the debris in the Pacific—and he’ll be sending frequent updates of his voyage to Trash-Free Challenge participants. So how much of a difference can small steps like using fewer plastic bags make? The group estimates that if they can get 10,000 people to make trash tweaks this month, they’ll be able to stop 1.3 million pounds of trash from reaching our oceans—which amounts to the weight of three blue whales. In other words, huge. 6 Signs You Shouldn’t Swim There Traveling this month? Not to worry, you can still keep your feel-good Trash-Free Challenge momentum going with these travel tips from the Ocean Conservancy:
Stay at a hotel that has a recycling programPurchase products packaged in recyclable cardboard boxesUse reusable containers, cups, and snack pouchesPrepare yourself to carry trash when an appropriate receptacle isn’t available
Also see: 12 Fish To Stay Away From, 4 Reasons You Need A Water Diet, What Your Trash Is Doing To The Planet
