Why We Support Sea Shepherd

At The Source we’re passionate about the environment – we do whatever we can to minimise our footprint on the Earth, our stores are proudly plastic bag free, and it is our mission to reduce packaging and waste.

We also feel strongly about giving back, and one of the ways we do this is by supporting organisations like Sea Shepherd. To date, we have donated more than $25,000 to this amazing marine conservation group through the sale of our reusable stainless steel water bottles.

Sea Shepherd is an organisation that is very close to our hearts. Well known for their work protecting whales in the Southern Ocean, the direct-action group is also involved in many other campaigns to protect our oceans and marine life.  Sea Shepherd’s Marine Debris Campaign aims to protect and conserve our marine environment, preventing and removing the unprecedented amount of marine debris entering our oceans and waterways. This debris is threatening our marine life, causing injury or death by drowning, entanglement, or starvation following ingestion.

According to Sea Shepherd:

• On average one truckload of plastic is being dumped into our oceans every minute.
• 44% of marine mammals and 86% of turtle species are estimated to have plastic in their guts.
• 80% of seabird species ingest plastic, 90% of birds in those species had plastics in their gut.
• 99% of the world’s seabirds species will be ingesting plastic by 2050 if current marine pollution trends continue.
• By 2025 it is estimated there will be enough plastic in the ocean (on their most conservative estimates) to cover 5% of the earth’s entire surface in cling wrap each year.

When you read the cold hard facts, you realise just how big the problem is and how urgently we need to take action – that’s why we’re so happy to be supporting Sea Shepherd’s work.

Sea Shepherd is tackling the problem head-on by promoting and facilitating beach and river clean-up activities around Australia. They are also developing community education and engagement activities to increase awareness and prevent it from getting worse.

Avoiding single-use plastic is one of the best ways you can help stop marine debris from entering the ocean.

Say no to single-use plastics like:

• plastic bags
• buy in bulk to avoid packaging
• refuse straws and plastic cutlery
• don’t buy bottled water

Too often, plastic water bottles end up in the ocean, where they break down into smaller pieces and are ingested by sea life like fish, turtles and whales who mistake them for food.

With Plastic Free July well and truly underway, make the change today and ditch plastic water bottles forever. Here at The Source, we love our stainless steel bottles, which are made from high quality high-quality BPA-free double insulated 18/8 stainless steel and come in 350ml, 500ml and 750ml sizes. They’re safe, stylish and durable, and best of all, $2 from every bottle 500ml or 750ml wood bottle sold goes to Sea Shepherd!