For our friends at 5 Gyres, 2015 is a big year. For those who aren’t familiar, 5 Gyres is a nonprofit that works to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways – places very dear to Indosole’s heart.
In January they revamped their mission statement to include more specific goals: To engage people in policy and design solutions to end the global health crisis of plastic pollution. In addition to taking a reactionary standpoint and cleaning the world’s ocean plastic collection sites known as gyres, they have initiated campaigns with proactive solutions. An example of this is the Microbead Campaign known as “Ban the Bead” that focuses on eliminating plastic microbeads from personal care products.
“Stiv Wilson introduced legislation to prohibit the sale of plastic microbeads in personal care products in Vermont and Hawaii. An introduction legislation in California will soon follow. This legislation is meant to close a loophole in similar industry sponsored bills passed in Illinois and New Jersey that allow for so called 'biodegradable' plastics such as polylactic acid or PLA. This type of polymer does not biodegrade in the environment. The Ban the Bead petition has collected a total of 7,000 signatures.” ~ 5 Gyres Newsletter
5 Gyres will soon set sail aboard the Spirit of South Carolina for an epic 3-leg expedition. Starting in Palm Beach, Florida the crew of around 30 will be headed to the Bahamas, then to Bermuda, and from Bermuda to Charleston, South Carolina. On the first leg they plan to study the impact of plastic on the ecosystem – both in and surrounding the North Atlantic Gyre – including marine life and the people living in nearby coastal and island nations.
Jack Johnson, the musician and ocean advocate, will be joining the team to raise awareness and assist in a conference piloting innovative design solutions such as the Solar Plastic Brick Oven. In the Bahamas, this project will allow islanders to upcycle plastic waste into literal building blocks (pictured below).
The 5 Gyres team has a packed schedule before they push off in early June, and there’s plenty of room for public involvement. On February 12th the My Plastic Valentine party took place at Establish store in the Sunset district of San Francisco, directly across the street from the Church of Surf (Indosole’s HQ). More events are on the horizon to make change in local Bay Area waterways as well as raise awareness about plastic pollution worldwide. Opportunities to get involved can be found here: http://5gyres.org/how_to_get_involved/campaigns-microbead/