The health of the world's oceans is of the utmost importance to the earth's sustainability. Many nonprofits have been created with the sole purpose of bettering the world's treatment of one of our largest resources. Some work through education, some develop and foster new technology and mechanisms, and some facilitate the physical cleanup of the seas and beaches by motivating their communities. Quantum's Director of Sustainability, Lara Poljsak, checked in with Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck, the CEO of Take 3 for the Sea, for a quick chat:
Lara Poljsak: Where did the idea for your organization come from? What is your story?
Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck: Plastic is a material designed to last forever that we often use only once. Plastic never truly disappears – it remains in the environment and breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces, often ending up in the ocean where it can harm marine animals by causing injury, suffocation, starvation, and death.
In addition to its direct effect on wildlife, plastic products also create greenhouse gas emissions throughout their whole lifecycle. The more plastic we make, the more CO2 is released and the more we intensify the climate crisis.
Two inspired ocean lovers – marine ecologist, Roberta Dixon-Valk and youth educator, Amanda Marechal, came up with Take 3 for the Sea, an idea where a simple action could produce profound consequences when adopted by many. Joining forces with environmentalist Tim Silverwood, the trio publicly launched Take 3 for the Sea, now an award-winning global movement of people protecting the ocean from plastic pollution.
Working as a catalyst for change, Take 3 for the Sea helps people to see and understand the problem of plastic pollution, inspiring them to simple human-sized actions by unleashing the power of 3:
- Take 3 pieces of rubbish with you when you leave the beach, waterway… or anywhere
- Take 3 actions to reduce your single-use plastic
- Take 3 people on the journey with you
LP: What would be the best way to reduce ocean pollution in your opinion?
JLS: Stop the amount of plastic being produced for packaging and especially for single use. If everybody takes 3 for the sea, we can pick up what ends up on the ground and in the sea. But best to stop the problem at the source. We need to remember that every piece of plastic we use is going to be here longer than us and change our behavior.
LP: What are the greatest issues/obstacles you are facing?
JLS: Spreading the message far and wide and creating that "aha moment" when people know they must act and change their behavior with plastic, litter, and waste. That moment when we realize we all need to be the solution. We partner with organizations and communities globally to do this. Like all charities raising funds to keep educating and inspiring action and removing litter from the environment, every month we need to find the funds to carry on our work. The environment still only represents a small percentage of global giving, so this makes education and awareness of the problem even more critical.
LP: Do you have any advice specifically for sailors/the sailing industry?
JLS: Sailors are in a unique position to fight against ocean pollution. They can play an immense role in helping us solve the problem by:
- Collect litter they come across. Even better if they take a picture and share it on social media with "#take3forthesea" to spread awareness of our company's mission.
- Educate and inspire people along the way in ports of call – even running a cleanup event. Cleanup kits are available for purchase at Take 3 for the Sea.
- Become a partner or donor to help Take 3 educate and inspire action globally.
- Encourage their networks to take 3 for the sea and look at their personal and business plastic footprint.
- Become a partner and fly a Take 3 for the Sea sail – educating and inspiring action as they sail around the globe.
LP: What is the ultimate goal of Take 3 for the Sea? What success have you seen so far?
JLS: Take 3 has been successful as it's easy to get involved and create impact. People can get overwhelmed with the size of the problem, but if we all do our little bit, we will make a great impact and solve this problem. Our aim is that we can solve the Plastic Pollution Problem so one day we don't have to be here anymore. We work across all audiences, businesses, communities, schools, clubs and groups, and industries.
Take 3 for the Sea has removed 56 million items of rubbish, educated over 1 million students through Take 3 programs and resources, reached 64 million people through social media channels, and has gotten 129 countries to participate in #take3forthesea campaigns.
Lara's Thoughts
The message of Take 3 for the Sea goes hand-in-hand with Quantum Sails' views on sustainability. Environmental pollution can often seem too big a problem to tackle, but if each individual contributes what we can, our actions can have a snowball effect and greatly improve the bigger picture.
While we at Quantum Sails are taking steps - big and small - to eliminate or improve the bigger sustainability issues of our business, we want to encourage our customers and employees to join us on this mission and do what they can in their private lives.
Next time you are out sailing, on the beach or just going for a walk in nature, collect 3 items of rubbish and dispose of them correctly. Feel free to take a picture and share it with #take3forthesea and #quantumsails. Try to implement 3 actions that will help you reduce your use of single-use plastic, whether that be at home, at work, or on the boat! And lastly, try and take 3 people on this journey with you, and encourage them to do the same.
You can purchase cleanup kits on the Take 3 for the Sea website or even become a donor to help them educate more people. If you want to take this project even further, get in touch with Take 3 to further develop your partnership. And, learn more about Quantum's Sustainability efforts on our Sustainability page.