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International Surfing Day means hit the pool, watch your plastics

Written by Bryan Dickerson

On Saturday, June 16, 2018, the Surfrider Foundation and international affiliates will host events around the globe in celebration of the 14th International Surfing Day. The day is designed to raise awareness about the environmental threats facing the world’s oceans. This year much of the ISD targets plastic in the ocean.

“The Surfrider Foundation network of volunteers both around the nation and worldwide are taking action every day to preserve our ocean and coasts,” said Eddie Anaya, Marketing Director for the Surfrider Foundation.

Brands getting on board for the day include Quiksilver, whose new campaign addresses the issue of micro plastics.

Only 10% of all plastic produced worldwide is currently recycled, the rest ends up in a landfill or worse, the ocean. Today, large amounts of plastic floating in the ocean are threatening both marine life and the global climate.

Research has shown that all synthetic materials contain microfibers. These tiny pieces of plastic can make their way through the food chain and onto our plates. Despite multiple efforts to tackle the problem at its source, there are currently no alternatives to synthetics when it comes to producing high performance products such as boardshorts and swimwear.

Quiksilver are using recycled plastic bottles to weave into their new boardshorts. One claim is that they’ve used material from 100 million bottles already.

“We are very excited to contribute a part to the protection of something we genuinely care about — the ocean,” said Garry Wall, Global General Manager of Quiksilver. “Up-cycling plastic waste into something that is useful for us, even today, is an important step.”

Celebrated worldwide, ISD activations have taken place in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, France, the UK, Argentina, Japan, and coastal communities across the U.S.

More info on ISD from Surfrider Foundation

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