4 Ways Your Business Can Help The Marine Environment
A volunteer collects garbage on a muddy beach. Close-up. The concept of Earth Day. Bottom view.
About seventy percent of the planet is water. All organisms, but especially marine organisms, depend on it for survival. On top of that, the ocean is responsible for half of the Earth’s oxygen and absorbs a portion of the carbon dioxide we produce. These carbon emissions are one of the primary drivers of climate change, which is harmful to the planet and all living things on it.
Furthermore, millions of people worldwide rely on the ocean for their income and employment. Minerals are extracted, crude oil is drilled for, and trade routes are established along its length. It’s also a source of food for people.
However, the ocean is under stress from human activities such as overfishing, global warming, pollution, etc., which can severely affect the marine ecosystem. And since people and industries rely heavily on ocean resources, it’s only suitable that they pitch in to help preserve them.
That said, here are some things you can do as a company owner to help safeguard the marine environment.
- Dispose Of Waste Properly
Oils and chemicals have the potential to harm wildlife, devastate habitats, and pollute vital resources in the food chain. And these oils and chemicals can end up in the water if not correctly disposed of.
For example, if you’re a restaurant owner, avoiding disposing of wasted oil in the waterbodies can go a long way. Instead, consider installing grease trap maintenance so grease collecting firms may use the oil and turn it into fuel. Moreover, if you accidentally spill oil, you can use boom and pad absorbers to soak it before it reaches the water.
- Reduce Carbon Footprint
Climate change is a serious issue the world is facing right now. For one, carbon emissions can change the ocean’s chemistry and make it more acidic, making it a less suitable environment for marine life to thrive.
With that, your business can reduce its carbon footprint by ensuring your office or store is well-insulated. Doing so can lessen the use of air-conditioning units, which release carbon dioxide harmful to the environment. You can also encourage your employees to walk or bike to work whenever possible and consider offering incentives for them to do so.
- Avoid Using Plastics
There are at least 5.25 trillion particles of plastic in the ocean, and around 8 million new pieces of plastic find their way there daily. These plastics are to blame for the deaths of several marine animals. In most cases, a few end up consuming the plastics or become entangled in them. Consequently, some are either drowned, suffocated, or starved to death.
Plastic packaging plays a significant addition in building up tonnes of garbage annually. Therefore, as an owner of a retail business, consider seeking out environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic packaging, such as eco bags and paper bags.
On the other hand, if you run a food business, you can encourage your customers to bring their water bottles, tumblers, and reusable straws to minimize the use of plastic cups. You can even offer incentives such as discounts to motivate them to take part in sustainable practices.
- Partner With Organizations
You can take your business’s sustainability initiatives further by building alliances with organizations currently working to preserve the ocean safely. By doing so, you can increase your grasp of the challenges in the marine ecosystem and your familiarity with eco-friendly solutions.
You can make generous donations, or you may participate in some of their voluntary activities like clean-up drives to observe how their objective is carried out. You can also consider encouraging your employees to participate. This can be a good way to embrace sustainability as a company.
Furthermore, you can support practices such as sustainable fishing. The number of people in the world is constantly rising, so there’s an ever-increasing requirement for food. And thus, overfishing continues to be a problem. Too many fish are removed from the marine environment, rendering the remaining fish sterile, and this is where sustainable fishing practices come in. In general, the practice of sustainable fishing limits catches to those species found in abundant populations to maintain balance in the marine ecosystem.
You can stand behind the cause by helping raise awareness. On the other hand, if you’re running a restaurant business, you can partner with suppliers practicing sustainable fishing.
Conclusion
The marine environment is essential to maintaining life on Earth. With that, everyone must do their part to preserve it. You can help save the ocean by cutting down on your company’s carbon footprint and the usage of toxic chemicals. In addition, you can stop using plastic bags and start opting for eco-bags or paper bags to save the environment. It can also be a good idea to team up with marine-focused groups that care about the ocean’s health. Finally, support responsible fishing practices.
