World Oceans Day: Tackling the Global Plastic Crisis and Protecting Our Oceans

Covering more than 70% of the planet, the ocean produces half the world’s oxygen, regulates our climate, and supports the livelihoods of more than three billion people.

But now we are taking more than can be replenished – big fish populations are down 90% and we have destroyed 50% of our coral reefs.

Not only that but approximately 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. Imagine a garbage truck emptying its load in there every single minute.

This is expected to triple by 2040 if no action is taken.

Not only can plastics harm marine life and disrupt marine ecosystems, but toxic and pollutive additives can leach into the water and do further harm, both to species and our planet.

Meanwhile, researchers have discovered microplastics in marine species and remote polar ice, acting as vectors for toxic pollutants. They are now considered a planetary boundary threat meaning their accumulation may irreversibly alter Earth’s ecosystems.

This bleak projection has become a rallying cry for Ocean Bottle, a UK-based social impact company      tackling the global ocean plastic crisis.

Founded by college friends Nick Doman and Will Pearson, Ocean Bottle is going one step beyond in this fight – not only by producing reusable water bottles, but by funding plastic collection in coastal communities around the world.

For every Ocean bottle sold, the company funds the collection of 1,000 ocean-bound plastic bottles in countries where plastic pollution is among the most severe – such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Brazil.

Since launch in 2019, this has stopped more than 22,626,892 kgs of plastic- the equivalent of 2 billion plastic bottles – from reaching the ocean.

Ocean Bottle is a leading brand in the global reusable water bottle market, which is only set to grow from $12.92 billion in 2024 to $26.13 billion by 2032 as consumers become more eco-minded.

As World Oceans Day (Sunday 8 June) approaches, Ocean Bottle is calling for both individual and systemic action to tackle plastic pollution and protect our oceans.

Additional Information

1 The New Plastic Economy report by the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2016): https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/the-new-plastics-economy-rethinking-the-future-of-plastics

2 World Oceans Day, UN: https://www.un.org/en/observances/oceans-day

3 Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMiQ: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2020/07/23/plastic-pollution-is-growing-relentlessly

4 OECD Global Plastics Outlook (2022) https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastics/global-plastics-outlook/

X Transparency Market Research (2024): https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reusable-water-bottles-market-size--share-to-surpass-usd-12-6-billion-by-2032--analysis-by-transparency-market-research-inc-302193665.html#:~:text=The%20rise%20in%20living%20standards,at%20reducing%20single%2Duse%20plastic.