Blue Planet 2 highlighted the major problem with plastics in our Oceans. The debate on plastics and what to do with them is long overdue.

The UK Government recently announced its policies to end our reliance on plastics. From carrier bags to take away boxes, the Prime Minister has urged businesses and homes to reduce the amount of plastics we buy and discard. This is hugely encouraging news, and at True Adventure we welcome the opportunity to do our part to combat the use of everyday plastics. To that end, we have signed up to the Travellers Against Plastic pledge.

Travellers Against Plastic (or TAP) is a simple idea. It encourages those with a love of travel to agree to reduce our use of one of the most prolific and damaging plastics: the humble drinks bottle. As TAP point out:

“The use of disposable plastic bottles while traveling is: hard on the environment, hard on the communities left with the garbage, it’s expensive, and it can often be unhealthy. No traveller wants to leave a trail of plastic water bottles behind them, but many don’t know how to avoid it.”

At True Adventure, we are committed to making a positive impact in our world. Through our expeditions and project work we actively participate in making the world a little bit better, and every year our venturers make us immensely proud, volunteering their time and fundraising to support overseas communities. But littering those communities and ecosystems with hundreds of empty plastic bottles is not the legacy that we want to leave behind!

To address this issue, we have, and will continue to supply all our teams with water purification systems, which allow venturers to drink from local water supplies safely, decreasing the necessity to purchase bottled water, and significantly lowering the amount of waste left behind. Our projects are also increasingly focused on maintaining green and healthy ecosystems, with future teams getting involved in community beach cleaning projects, as well as volunteer diving initiatives that aim to remove plastic waste from our oceans.

Reducing the amount of plastic used and discarded during expeditions is a small step towards a clean and sustainable natural environment. There is still much more that can be done, but through initiatives like TAP we can each make a difference.

http://www.travelersagainstplastic.org/