Ever since high school, I knew plastic was polluting our oceans.
I remember after a weekend beach day with my family where we found a dead sea turtle on the beach beside loads of trash left there from a big beach party there had been that weekend. It was mortifying to see such a beautiful animal, having taken its last breath on a beach littered with beer cans and plastic cups. This motivated me to organize beach clean ups and volunteer with the local wildlife rehab center cleaning penguins who had washed ashore, covered in oil from the tragic spills happening in our oceans.
When Jack and I first started dating, we shopped at the Trader Joe's down the road from our marina. It was inexpensive, had most of our favorite foods and was conveniently located just blocks away. We would buy meats packaged on styrofoam trays, bags of salad greens, salty snacks in plastic bags and baked goods that came in plastic clamshells. Our tiny garbage bin on the boat was almost always full and we had to take the trash out every day or two.
I can't remember exactly what was the catalyst for change, that made us realize the negative impact we were having on the environment with our habits and lifestyle choices. I'm pretty sure it had to do with the amount of floating trash and debris we saw move by our boat with each tide. Although I had been aware of plastic pollution, it wasn't until I lived on the water that I assumed responsibility for making a change. I couldn't focus solely on big corporations polluting our earth, I needed to walk my talk and do my part.
Humans are creatures of habit.
We can't say that transitioning to a more eco-conscious was easy and instant. It took effort, time and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. The more habits we changed, the more rewarding it all felt, knowing we were still living our lives the way we wanted but without having such a negative impact on the oceans we floated upon.
🌎 Now, over 7 years later, life on the water has made us better humans. Our monthly trash load is about the size of a 5-gallon bucket, we have implemented many swaps and lifestyle changes which feel like second nature to us. We realized after spending sometime with family at the beginning of July that our lifestyle is not the norm - and that we have many simple tips to share with those looking to jumpstart their own plastic free journey.
So, we've put together a PDF guide for you with 10 ways to reduce your environmental impact and we hope it inspires you to try at least 1 of them. These are just some of the items we've tried and tested over the past 7 years of living a plastic-free lifestyle. If we all make changes to our daily habits, we can make a significant difference in the future of our oceans.
~ Afterall, we are looking for progress - not perfection. ~
To snag your free copy of our 10 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Impact & Live Plastic Free, click the button below.
DID YOU KNOW?
We donate 10% of our Patreon proceeds to organizations such as Coral Gardeners and Changing Tides Foundation who are fighting for our planet's health and doing incredible things for our oceans. If we want to sail the world's oceans, it's our responsibility to help keep them healthy and thriving.
By joining our Patreon crew, you gain access to our boating resources, stories from our time at sea, free PDF guides just like our Plastic Free guide and more - all while supporting organizations who are protecting our planet!
