Hello my loves,
So this journal is bound to be a long one, so go grab your favorite drink, perhaps a snack, get comfy, and enjoy the read!
Since 2020 I've been a proud 4Ocean Brand Ambassador. I've worked hand in hand with fishermen, fish processing plants, and speaking with the local natives about the ever increasing problem that is; plastic waste.
It's everywhere and there's no denying, it's become a real problem for our water ecosystems. Places that once never had plastic waste, are now showing signs of micro plastics. Systems that never had issues with being clean, are now needing regular cleanup and at cost.
And plastic waste doesn't just effect our oceans and lakes. It's been found in far flung places such as bogs, swamps, ponds, lakes that would need you to be dropped there by plane and far flung glacier runoffs. It's quite literally everywhere and this is where the problem begins.
Microplastic consumption in our marine wildlife is on the rise. Recently, two humpbacks who became beached in British Columbia, were discovered to be so badly underweight, it was amazing they'd survived as long as they had. The culprit? Microplastic build up in their guts.
Less than two weeks ago, while visiting the hospital, I watched as a young girl was rushed in, complaining of stomach issues. I was in the cubicle next to her's when the doctor did the ultrasound and stated that her stomach looked full despite her not having eaten for 2 whole days. What they discovered in this young teen's stomach, blew my mind; microplastics.
"Plastic waste can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose, and even then, it never fully disappears; it just gets smaller and smaller."
When you consider how long it actually takes for plastic to simply 'vanish', you'll realize that it certainly won't happen in your lifetime or mine. It's why cleanup and keeping our plastic waste to the barest minimum is so vitally important for our water ecosystems to remain sustainable long term, not just short term.
"Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems' ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people's livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. UNEP's body of work demonstrates that the problem of plastic pollution doesn't exist in a vacuum."
When I began to fall in love with the ocean, I was only 14 years of age. I was 14 when I saw my very first, captive Whale Shark. I was 14 when I got to touch such a magnificent creature. And I was 14 when I fell head over heels in love with these gentle filter feeder giants, giants who are now critically endangered of disappearing forever. Part of the reason for this is, because they are filter feeders, they are inadvertently ingesting microplastics when they go to feed and this has led to them starving and in many cases, being unable to feed as they normally would.
When 4Ocean opened it's Ambassador program, I applied but due to the varying requirements and because it was such a new program, my application was rejected, at no fault to myself, the program simply wasn't on the same page as everyone else. By 2020 I had reapplied, was accepted and began forging forward in my goal of making certain, the mission statement, was heard; Go plastic free if you can, where you can.
"4ocean is reaching new limits and has successfully removed 35,000,000 pounds of plastic debris and trash from our waterways!"
In just seven years, 4ocean has removed 35 million pounds of trash from our oceans!
Let’s break that number down into something more tangible! 35,000,000 pounds of plastic is equivalent to;
195 Million Plastic Water Bottles
37.8 Billion Plastic Straws
2.9 Billion Plastic Bags
13.2 Billion Rubber Balloons
2.6 Billion Plastic Forks
3.5 Billion Plastic spoons
882 Million Toothbrushes
175 Million Two-Liter Bottles
1.1 Billion Soda Cans
7.1 Billion Bottle Caps
2.1 Billion Styrofoam Cups
*These calculations are based on the average mass of commonly used items.
Read the powerful update -> here <-
And so, it stands to reason when I heard that the 4Ocean Brand Ambassador was getting an upgrade, that I jumped on it.
So! As of July 16, 2024 I am proud to announce, I am now a 4Ocean Wavemaker Brand Ambassador!
But wait! What is a Wavemaker?
Wavemaker (noun): A person (or group of people) connected to the ocean who create a positive difference in their community or inspire people to change the world.
We're an eclectic group of surfers, artists, divers, educators, community leaders, and vagabond travelers committed to saving the ocean for future generations.
We've built a fantastic community to support our craziest ideas, and we're looking for like-minded adventurers to join the mission!
As a 4ocean Wavemaker, you'll complete challenges, earn commission on product sales, be on the front lines of our cleanup operations, and join a community as vibrant as a cuttlefish.
So of course! I had to jump on this amazing opportunity!
This is a passion. It's a passion built upon that first meeting of that gentle giant, who became my surfer soul animal. It's built from that first time I set eyes upon the Pacific and breathed in that salty air. It's that first time I saw Bastet, all but gallop into the tide pools and chase the small fish, her emerald eyes filled with absolute glee. It's the first time I galloped on horseback through the surf as the tide came in and had dolphins swim alongside us. It's that first meeting of a Brown Puppy Shark (which are beyond adorable!) And it's the joy of being apart of something far bigger than myself and knowing that with every purchase, both done by myself and or others, we pull 5 pounds of trash from our oceans, we help clean up efforts and we make our oceans safer, healthier and just all around better.
Does 4Ocean help in hurricane clean up? YES! "When we encounter unusually large debris accumulations, additional crew members are brought in to help collect, sort, and process it all. And when the need arises, our sorting crews don't hesitate to get out in the field with our cleanup crews to help recover debris!"
As a brand ambassador, do you offer a discount code? Why yes! Each time you use my referral link you'll get an automatic 10% off your entire purchase! Plus! I earn 25% in points for each referral which helps me earn amazing bracelet rewards, not purchasable anywhere else on the site! Plus! I can earn commission as well, called the "Referral commission tiers." Each Tier, gives you an up to amount. So it helps me out as well as helps our oceans out!
Are you thinking of becoming a 4Ocean Retailer? Yes! It's something myself, my mom and my friend and business partner, Amy, have thought very long and hard about and we're committed to making this a reality. However, we're going to wait till next year to embark on this journey, as becoming a retailer isn't something you do or embark on lightly.
Why are you an Ambassador? I think the obvious answer is, I want to be able to swim in our oceans, lakes and rivers, without having to wonder "am I swimming through plastic waste?" It worries me when I see people going out and trying to enjoy their time on the water, only to fall sick because of the chemicals that are put into plastics. It's a concern especially for our domestic animals and our wildlife, because they rely heavily on our water to be safe. Nevermind it being drinkable, but just being safe is the biggest reason why I'm a 4Ocean Brand Ambassador.
When I realize that there are so many rivers in the UK, USA, Canada, and elsewhere, that are heavily polluted, with chemicals and microplastics, it genuinely is a scary thought to think about. Even our drinking water, microplastics have been discovered in drinking water. Not bottled water, the water you get from your taps. This is genuinely, a terrifying thing to have to think about. To know that each time you get a drink from the tap, even if you're using an addon filter system, you could be ingesting microplastics....many of which are known to cause cancer....that's scary. It's scary to think that, we're letting our kids drink it.
Are you an environmentalist? Yes and no. I do believe there is a very fine line that we all must tread in order to live the life we want too. But I do believe we should do so, in a manner that causes as minimal impact on the environment as is possible. Climate Change, depending on who you are, who you speak too, etc, is either real or some made up fairy tail, I however, can remember the years when March in Ontario was nothing but snow. I can remember snowbanks being 4 - 8 feet high. I remember those days because I lived them. I also remember the days of weather that was never commonly seen in Ontario, weather like tornadoes, freak floods, etc. But in the past week, Ontario has seen three cities flash flooded (Toronto, Belleville and Trenton) and we have seen a deadly increase in the number of tornadoes touching down.
So, if reducing the amount of plastic I buy makes even a tiny impact, than to me, for me, it's worth it. Already I'm using stainless steel water bottles, stainless steel drinking bowls for my cats. Stainless steel litter box. And I'm even using stainless steel travel coffee mugs.
Whenever it's recycling day, I make sure to recycle my clear plastic away from the colored as colored plastic, surprisingly, is much harder to recycle simply because, many recycling plants don't have the high tech that is required to separate it from the clear stuff!
Every bit helps.
I've even gone as far as bringing my plastic waste to my local recycle plant myself. Made a decent penny from doing so as well ($90CAD - so can't go wrong!)
And now that I have two stepdaughters to think about, I want to make sure the impact we have on our planet, is as minimal as can be.
And that is my mission as a 4Ocean Brand Ambassador.
Reducing my plastic usage and looking for alternative ways to store my food items, drinks etc.
So this is my pledge, that by the end of 2024, I'll have reduced my plastic waste by 90%. Can it be done? Who knows! But the journey to get to that point is well worth it!
Q&A
Q: What does 4Ocean do with the recycled trash?
A: The plastic debris collected by our captains and crews is repurposed and made into beautiful bracelets by our artisans in Bali.
Q: How much does 4ocean CEO make?
A: The Chief Executive Officer makes $747,513, Volunteer Coordinators make $53,542, Social Media Specialists makes $63,386, and Social Media Marketing Interns makes $49,940
Q: How many employees does 4ocean have?
A: While the exact number varies over time, our records show that 4ocean PBC has between 100 and 249 employees.
Q: Do 4ocean workers get paid?
A: Every captain and crew member is a full-time 4ocean employee who gets paid a fair living wage. We also cover all health insurance costs as well as additional benefits and bonus incentives.
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