I love a glass of wine. Whether it’s a cold, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a fun filled Prosecco, or, my favourite, a smooth and fruity Merlot; wine is a very lovely part of my life. A couple of months ago, a friend of mine mentioned Sea Change Wine. Sea Change not only produce delicious wine, she said, but they also fund various projects attempting to “turn the tide” on plastic pollution in the sea. And, whats more, they use minimal packaging in all their wines.

Sea Change was created in order to rethink the sustainability around wine packaging and to encourage change in the industry. Their packaging is designed to minimise waste and be as sustainable as possible. ‘Grape touch’ paper, made from 15% grape waste, (the rest being FSC certified sustainable) is used for the paper labels, and the clear wine label used on the Provence Rose wine goes a step further… made of plant cellulose and biodegradable, it is apparently the first time this has been used on wine bottles.

The wine bottles themselves (particularly when empty!) are noticeably lighter, reducing the carbon footprint of shipping and using less glass.The cork is recyclable, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly, made from fully renewable natural sources. And finally, there is no capsule around the cork to avoid unnecessary waste!

“We are committed to helping keep the oceans clean and stopping the endless flow of plastic pollution that threatens the whole marine eco-system.“ Sea Change

The problem of plastics overrunning our oceans is as desperate as it is overwhelming. Something has to change and soon. Like most people, I detest seeing plastic waste on our beautiful beaches and have committed to pick up at least one bag of litter on every trip to the beach from now on. It doesn’t take long and sadly, its incredibly easy as there is so much to collect.

“Plastics make up 80% of the total amount of marine debris present in the oceans, amounting to more than 8 million tons in our vital ocean ecosystems. This is the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic being dumped into the oceans every minute. Our oceans are wading in marine plastic, so much so that at this rate, it is estimated that the ocean will contain more plastics than fish (by weight) by 2050.” Source: Futureearth.org

The damage to marine life is horrific. Millions of seabirds, whales, fish and turtles not only get caught and entangled in plastic, effectively dying from suffocation, but they also mistake plastic for food and then die of starvation because their stomachs are filled with plastic.

It is truly heart breaking … and we all need to take some responsibility. Sea Change is certainly doing it’s bit by helping to fund a number of projects: Plastic Oceans UK, which creates educational change programmes that help both individuals and companies rethink the way they use and value plastic; The Olive Ridley Project which rescues and rehabilitates sea turtles; and Sea-Changers who deliver marine clean-up action, education and awareness-raising about conservation issues.

One such project funded by Sea-Changers is On the Killer Whale Trail (OTKWT), which is fascinating blog that documents Emily and her partner Paul as they travel around Scotland following the coastal paths, with a special focus on spotting marine mammals. You can follow them On The Killer Whale Trail and I challenge you not be moved by the experiences they have!

Recently OTKWT were at the forefront of a project that collected litter from 14 beaches over 14 consecutive days, weighing the litter and comparing it to the weight of marine species! The public were asked to join in :

“Whether you help us collect the weight of a lobster🦞(1kg), a porbeagle shark 🦈 (135kg) or a sperm whale 🐳 (40,000kg!), every little helps keep our habitats cleaner and safer for our favourite species” 

The project was hugely popular and I think this is where the answer lies. Education and creating interest in such an important issue that impacts all of us, not to mention future generations, is the only way forward.

In the meantime, if you like wine, please consider Sea Change. I don’t think you will be disappointed. I particularly love their Merlot and Prosecco, and the Provence Rose was a huge hit with some friends last weekend. I haven’t tried their Sauvignon Blanc yet, but that is on my shopping list! Having a glass this evening, it does feel good to know I am helping in a small way in challenging the horror of this plastic devastation that is overrunning our beautiful oceans.

“Industrial pollution and the discarding of plastic waste must be tackled for the sake of all life in the ocean. … Surely we have a responsibility to care for our planet. The future of humanity and indeed all life on earth, now depends on us.” – David Attenborough (2017)

Somekindof50 has not received any payment for this post.

Whale pictures courtesy of On The Killer Whale Trail.