As for every year, on June 8th we celebrate World Oceans Day. Even if we should think about preserving the marine environment not only during this day, it is a starting point to talk about some actions we could take during sailing cruises to avoid polluting our seas and oceans.

Plastic: the leading cause of the marine pollution

Plastic has been crucial in our history because it has helped us move on as a society and, at the same time, solved many issues in human lives. However, if not recycled correctly, plastic can be very harmful to our oceans. As a matter of fact, many plastic bottles and cans have been recently found under the sea and they are dated back to the 60s and 50s.

According to a study published by the scientific magazine PLUS One, in 2019 there were more than 170 trillion plastic particles in the seas all over the world. As a consequence, many damages affect fishes, all marine species, and, by eating them, also humans. If nothing changes, Onu estimates that by 2040 oceans will have more plastic materials rather than fish.

Being eco-friendly on a sailing boat

Stating what said above, it is now crucial that each one of us does something in order to prevent this kind of pollution and, it is even more important to apply correct behaviors when we are on a sailing boat.

Apart from not throwing any kind of waste into the sea, it should be a great habit to use compostable plates, knives, and forks. The same thing should apply to soaps and personal hygiene packaging as well as to water bottles. Water should be drunk from PVC bottles instead of plastic ones.

Last but not least, green soaps made with natural and biodegradable elements that respect the sea, are a great idea when it comes to dish and rope washing and showering. Moreover, if these soaps are solid, it is even better because, this way, the use of packaging is almost zero.

Reading suggestion: How to be eco-friendly on your sailing boat and reduce the environmental impact.