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ANNOUSHKA & NO MORE PLASTIC

To mark the launch of the new Hidden Reef collection, we are proud to partner with No More Plastic, a non-profit ocean preservation foundation. We’ve pledged to donate 10% of sales of Hidden Reef within the first three months in support of their work to keep our oceans beautiful.



Shop Hidden Reef
"Having lived by the coast in Sussex for more of my life, the ocean has always had a special place in my heart. I hope this small step in raising awareness for No More Plastic brings to light the irreversible change we have made to the ocean floor and what we can do to help the cause."

Annoushka Ducas

Environmental activist and founder of No More Plastic Foundation, Rosalie Mann, answers our questions on the state of our oceans and what we can do to help.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

I am an entrepreneur, artistic director, director, photographer and producer. I have been a marketing and image development strategy consultant in the luxury and the movie industry for over 15 years. As a mother and citizen of the world, I was shocked by the impact of our consumption on the future of life on Earth and decided to act in a concrete way.

WHEN WAS THE NO MORE PLASTIC FOUNDATION STARTED?

I created the No More Plastic Foundation in June 2018 with the launch of a Global Campaign to generate public awareness about the impact of plastic pollution around the world. The first digital campaign of three images, was shared on Instagram and Twitter by many international celebrities, artists, influencers and thanks to their support, the campaign was seen by 130,558,457 people all around the world. Because I think it’s time to stop blaming consumers for our plastic crisis and demand a better system from our favourite brands, I initiated the idea to write a Manifesto to explain to every consumer that we are all the solution. I co-wrote this Manifesto with my friend, Alexandra Cousteau. You can read the Manifesto here

This summer, we launched our second global campaign entitled “Walk with us” to inspire people to act now, because there is a countdown.

WHAT PROVOKED YOU TO BEGIN THE FOUNDATION?

My game-changer was my son, with all his cascading questions about the drift of our planet. As a parent who is supposed to protect him, I just wondered how we got there in only a few years. After research, I discovered the unthinkable: our consumer society of which I am a part is simply destroying the planet, especially with our daily use of plastic. I wanted to share all the solutions and hope for a better future. We are living in a critical time of unprecedented upheaval in the history of humanity but it is also a wonderful time of challenges and innovations.

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I am really proud to contribute to guide the next generation with the launch of No More Plastic Kids. This program, initiated by my son, was launched in schools in July 2019 with an educative workshop on plastic pollution entitled "Generation of Change". The goal is to make the next generation aware that they can be the generation of change, to give them the taste of simple gestures that allow them to ban the plastic, gestures and practices that they will leave to their own children tomorrow. This workshop is also an opportunity to share, with the complicity of teachers throughout the world, about the impact of the plastic pollution on the environment, on our health and the future of life on the planet.

WHAT'S THE MOST IMPACTFUL THING SOMEONE CAN DO TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?

First:
Reject the lie. More Recycling Won't Solve Plastic Pollution.

Second:
Talk about the plastic problem loudly and often,

Third:
Rethink our consumption by signing our Manifesto and asking for change, calling on the brands we love to address this important issue. Embrace alternatives such as bioplastic. So many solutions already exist. There are no little actions.

One of the most powerful things we can do as customers is demand change.

WHAT ARE THE KEY INITIATIVES THAT THE FOUNDATION IS WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?

The launch of the No More Plastic label symbolizing the establishments, the brands who meet the No More Plastic principles for more impact on a better future. And the launch of my book entitled “No Time to Waste” about solutions and choices that every consumer can adopt to reduce their plastic footprint.


WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF WASTE THAT'S POLLUTING OUR OCEANS?

Microplastics. Plastic pollution has become a very visible issue – but one of the most untraceable forms of ocean pollution is harder to see: microplastics. Plastic does not biodegrade, but breaks down into ever smaller pieces, resulting in microplastics. Smaller than 5mm in dimension, much of the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste in our oceans is made up of microplastics.


Other main sources of these microplastics are cleaning and laundering of synthetic clothes; abrasion of tyres through driving or abrasion of sneakers with plastic sole through jogging; intentionally added microplastics in personal care products, for example microbeads in facial scrubs, and the plastic recycling.


Microplastics are found in growing quantities in the ocean. According to the UN, there are as many as 51 trillion microplastic particles in the seas, 500 times more than stars in our galaxy.


Micro-plastics are not just a problem for the oceans, they're now in the air, the honey, the salt, the beer, the tap water… The effect on human health is as yet unknown, but plastics often contain additives, such as stabilisers or flame-retardants, and other possibly toxic chemical substances that may be harmful to the animal or human ingesting them.

HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT DO YOU THINK OUR WASTE HAS ON MARINE LIFE?

An onslaught of bottles, bags and other litter makes reefs 20 times more likely to get sick. Images of sea turtles trying to eat plastic bags they have mistaken for jellyfish, and the vast mass of debris swirling in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, have been making news for years. But the sheer amount and pervasiveness of plastic in the ocean is enough to astound even seasoned marine researchers.


Plastic is only the latest in a litany of human-linked stressors that are imperiling coral reefs— the incubators of ocean biodiversity. And the synthetic substance is apparently driving up disease rates even in the types of reefs that have proved hardiest in the face of other forces. Studies show that plastic must be taken into account when planning how to manage and protect reefs. Reducing plastic pollution will not be enough on its own to save reefs, but it could help ease the pressure they face from the threats that still worry coral experts the most: overfishing and warming-driven bleaching. Because of these pressures reefs face an impending “climate bottleneck,” with overall reef numbers expected to drop and changes in the types of reefs that survive. But removing as much plastic as possible from the equation could make that bottleneck just a little bit wider. Curtailing the flow of plastic into the ocean could also lighten the burden on reefs, for example by making the recovery from bleaching events less steep a climb.


WHAT KIND OF SIMPLE CHANGES CAN WE MAKE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE TO HAVE THE BEST IMPACT ON REDUCING PLASTIC POLLUTION?

Plastic pollution is a huge problem, of planetary proportion but here are some simple changes that you can make:


Make a change every day of your week, in only 7 days you can make a big difference.


Day 1:
Ban plastic bags and refuse them. Think about the tote canvas, more beautiful, solid and reusable. It folds and slips into a pocket. Make the switch today.


Day 2:
Say no to plastic bottles. Invest in a beautiful reusable bottle 0% plastic and refill it with water from glass bottles.


Day 3:
Ban plastic cups. The paper cups themselves are often, lined with plastic. So at your office, ask your colleagues who are using paper cups to replace them with a mug.


Day 4:
Ban plastic straws, every time you are given a plastic straw at a restaurant, bar, hotel… Please take a picture and give a proper rating on Google Maps. Hopefully after enough bad reviews, they will change their policy and then, you can change your reviews. This idea was initiated by Sofia Sanchez de Betak and we love it!


Day 5:
Stop buying single-use plastic products (cotton buds, toothbrushes, chewing gums, synthetic clothes, teabags, balloons, …) and simply invest in alternatives products, washable, reusable or biodegradable! Be more conscious when you buy clothes, shop less, shop better.


Day 6:
Think about picking up one piece of garbage every day. This will make our daily life look better and our ocean cleaner.


Day 7:
Spread the word and when you can, wear the No More Plastic pin.


We can all help to tackle plastic pollution by changing the way we use plastics. Small changes go a long way.

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