Act Now to Save Our Oceans: Combatting Plastic Pollution by 2048

Did you know the plastic in your clothes is polluting the oceans with every wash? That up to 80 per cent of the oxygen we breathe comes from marine life? And that our oceans could be dead by 2048 if we carry on as we are. These are just a few of the stark facts the Oceans is presenting loud and clear—

GIF source GIPHY on Google

If we kill all this life out there, it's very hard for us to exist even if people start a mission to clean up the oceans and convince as many people as they can to join them. The approach to finding solutions is three-fold -- Avoid plastic; intercept it from our ocean; and Redesign the material itself.

Most people are aware that single-use plastic is a huge problem, but many don't consider other daily pollutants—the plastic microfibers in clothes, for example, which are released into the environment with every wash. That's just one of the reasons why the fashion industry is top.

Humans need to understand that it's not only about the future of their kids; it's about their future. It is not a sci-fi scenario anymore. Plastic is a very visible threat; it's a symbol of the toxic age we are living in. We could create a huge around plastic and make everyone understand this material has to go. Plastic is not the only problem.

Specific challenges in the fashion industry are materials and packaging. What the fashion industry has to do is find replacements for all these toxic materials. The biggest opportunity for fashion to make a difference is the moment the fashion industry uses new materials—let's call them future materials because people look forward to fashion for inspiration.

Single-use plastic could be a first step. The second step could be to avoid eating meat and seafood. And the last step could be reducing your carbon footprint—don't fly a car so often.

Everybody can become an ambassador of the cause by changing her or his lifestyle. If a single action is multiplied by a billion people on this planet, these problems disappear overnight.

GIF source Wattpad on Google

Being a futurist and shaping this planet, we have to start a new economy that is based on new technologies and new materials. That is exciting but still challenging.