Garnier Brand Ambassador and model Laura Well’s Top Tips to keep our oceans clean and safe.
1. Get outside more often, be curious and explore your surroundings.
The closer you get to nature the more connected you will be to our planet and the more you will want to do to protect it!
2. Beaches and waterways can be exposed so it’s really important to be aware of your surroundings.
Always tell someone where you are going. Be mindful of tidal and weather conditions, wear appropriate clothing (including a facemask), stay hydrated with a reusable drink bottle and ensure sun protection by wearing a hat and marine-friendly sunscreen.
3. When packing your bag for your day out, pack handy reusable items as well.
A cutlery set, tupperware container and coffee cup, along with your water bottle, will ensure you can reduce your plastic footprint when buying snacks or takeout to refuel
4. Document the trash that you collect!
Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell app will allow you to document and share your cleanup efforts. Clean Swell tracks each item of rubbish that you collect, this information is instantly loaded to Ocean Conservancy’s global ocean trash database and provides insights to researchers and policy makers to help them identify trends and inform solutions
5. Take a reusable collection bag with you.
Protect your hands from sharp items such as fishing hooks and broken glass with a sturdy pair of gloves and be sure to wash your hands really well once you’re done. Never pick up anything that you’re not comfortable with and be sure to notify your local Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) if you find anything that might be hazardous.
6. And, once you’ve collected your rubbish, please take the time to sort and dispose of it properly.
Recycle what can be and throw everything else in a secure waste collection bin. And don’t forget that most states and territories have depots where you can recycle eligible bottles and cans that you collect for a 10 cent refund. New South Wale’s Earn and Return container refund scheme is a nice way to be rewarded for all your hard work, and if you don’t want the refund you can always donate it to a worthy cause.
7. Lastly, look at what you’re doing at home…
What you use around the home can wash down to your local waterways, use eco-friendly cleaning products and biodegradable beauty products including shampoo, conditioner and soap. And remember that the trash in your street gutters is also very likely to end up in your local waterways, so keep your streets clean too!
Garnier is committing to ‘Green Beauty’, an initiative that aims to radically reduce the beauty brand’s environmental impact by 2025.