50,000 bottles removed from the ocean to tackle plastic pollution
[8th June – Mullion Cove, nr Helston, Cornwall] The world’s seven seas have been cleaned by diving crews around the globe today in an epic move to tackle the ocean waste plastic problem.
6 UK divers took part in the global underwater clean up in Mullion Cove, Cornwall this morning, marking World Oceans Day. Part of a 40-strong crew of divers around the world, alongside a tribe of volunteer ocean lovers, they went to depths of 15+ meters across 7 time zones.
Over the course of 24 hours, 50,000 plastic bottles worth of waste were removed from the ocean. In the UK, members of the crew witnessed plastic pollution caused by beach litter – such as plastic water bottles and e-cigarette casings – along with fishing net debris that can be harmful to marine life.
The worldwide simultaneous deep-sea clean-up is the work of the 100YR CLEAN UP, an initiative that seeks to fund cleaning the planet of waste every year, for the next 100 years, led by Zero Co and The Hidden Sea – a wine company on a mission to remove 1 billion plastic bottles from the ocean by 2023.
Diving crews were also deployed in the Pacific Ocean (Sydney, Australia), North Atlantic Ocean (Cornwall, UK), Arctic Ocean (Great Slave Lake, Canada), South Atlantic Ocean (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Indian Ocean (RushiKonda beach, India), the Southern Ocean (Chubut, Argentina) and The Red Sea (Hurghada, Egypt, with the goal to remove the equivalent-in-weight of 50,000 single-use plastic water bottles from oceans across the planet. The plastic collected will be sorted, recycled, and repurposed where possible.
Co-founder of The Hidden Sea, and chief diver in the North Atlantic, Justin Moran said: “We’re on a high because to clean all seven seas is nothing short of epic. But I also know my fellow divers around the world will face similar depressing underwater scenes today. The problem is out of control, we need to get behind efforts to reverse the tide. I hope that sharing what we’ve witnessed in the ocean, will inspire people to join us in taking action.
“I dived in the beautiful tourist destination of Mullion Cove, Cornwall, and even though the water looked inviting from the surface, it was sad to see what was hiding under the water. It shows how deeply-rooted the plastic problem is.
“The Hidden Sea’s goal is to take 1 billion plastic bottles out of the ocean by 2030. By helping to drive forward the 100YR CLEAN UP, we hope to inspire people and businesses to support the initiative and, in the end, simply do what matters: help preserve ocean health.”
Plastic pollution has risen exponentially over the past few decades, with more than 170 trillion plastic particles now estimated to be floating in our seas.
This epic global stunt by Zero Co and The Hidden Sea, is just one part of their ambition to fund large-scale rubbish cleanups for the next 100 years. Everyone can get involved. Businesses, and the public, are invited to sponsor a bundle of rubbish which the 100YR CLEANUP will collect on your behalf. Head to www.100yrcleanup.com to join the mission.
The Hidden Sea co-founder, Justin Moran, leads a team of divers to remove and recycle plastic waste from Cornwall’s coastline as part of the 100YR CLEAN UP, a campaign to untrash the planet every year over the next 100 years. The crew found plastic bottles and e-cigarette casings under the sea, along with old fishing line that is harmful to marine life.
Credit: The Hidden Sea
Divers emerging from Mullion Cove, Cornwall, after taking part in the world’s first simultaneous clean-up of the 7 seas for World Oceans Day. Part of the 100YR CLEAN UP, efforts to untrash the planet for the next 100 years, dive crews will take 50,000 plastic bottles worth of waste from the world’s oceans.
About The Hidden Sea
The Hidden Sea is a wine brand with a clear promise: for every bottle of The Hidden Sea sold, they remove and recycle the equivalent-in-weight of 10 plastic bottles from the ocean. Since July 2020, they’ve removed over 22 million bottles (371,166 kg) and have the audacious goal of removing 1 billion bottles by 2030.
UK consumers can pick up vegan-friendly wines from The Hidden Sea – including a Sauvignon Blanc, a Rosé, a Chardonnay, a Shiraz, and a Red Blend – from selected Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Booths stores nationwide.
About Zero Co
Zero Co is an Australian business on a mission to Untrash the Planet by funding large-scale cleanups and stopping Aussies from using single-use plastic with their refillable products. They founded the 100YR CLEANUP in 2022 and have since been inviting companies from around the world to get involved and co-fund cleanup projects for the next 100 years.
