Scientists estimate that more than 5 million pieces of plastic are floating in the world鈥檚 oceans. From flip-flops to microbeads, this pollution poses a serious risk for marine animals, which often mistake plastic for food and starve to death or get caught in plastic packaging and suffocate. Giant plastic islands like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can span for miles. Since it鈥檚 too late to stop that trash from entering the seas, the question is how do we clean it up? Here are some creative ideas.
1. Run Green
Activewear companies are known for using synthetic fibers and plastics in their products to make them more durable. Alongside Patagonia and Nike, sportswear giant Adidas will start showcasing sleek, ocean-friendly designs. Last year, Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans, an organization that provides a platform for designers, to focus on creating inventive, sustainable new products. The Adidas x Parley, which hits the market later this year, will be made from recovered ocean plastic, run through a 3-D printer to create a stylish running shoe.
2. Guilt-Free Drinks
Buying six-packs of soda can have a deadly effect on sea turtles, seals and seabirds鈥攅ven if you recycle the cans. The plastic rings that hold the cans together can get tangled on an unsuspecting animal鈥檚 neck or accidentally eaten, which can kill an animal or stunt its growth. Enter the Edible Six Pack Ring, a potential replacement for its plastic cousin. Created by Saltwater Brewery in Florida, these digestible rings are made from barley and other natural materials, so they are biodegradable and sea life can safely eat them. We鈥檒l drink to that!
3. Style Guide
Pharrell Williams might not be the first person who comes to mind when you think about green innovations, but the singer turned fashion designer is making waves in the world of ecofriendly fashion. Williams鈥檚 newly released clothing line, RAW for the Oceans, is helping turn ocean plastic into wearable fashion. The line is part of his larger G-Star RAW clothing collection, which is made using a four-step process that takes plastics found along shorelines worldwide and breaks them down into a weavable clothing fiber called Bionic Yarn, a product cofounded by Williams. The music star鈥檚 new ocean-centric line includes trendy jeans, graphic tees and modern kimonos.
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