Parley for the Oceans is a global network of creators, thinkers and leaders from different industries throughout the world who’ve come together to raise awareness about the beauty and fragility of the earth’s major waterways. The group does so by collaborating on projects that help end ecosystem destruction and pollution.
Parley will work in partnership with the Foundation for New York’s Strongest—the official nonprofit organization of the New York City Department of Sanitation—to host a series of beach and waterway cleanups throughout the state. The effort aims to bring attention to the trash that ends up in the city’s waterways and empower New Yorkers to take action in support of the plastic bag ban, which takes effect in March 2020.
According to a press release, roughly five trillion plastic bags are used each year—New Yorkers alone contribute close to 10 billion. The NYC Department of Sanitation estimates that an an average of 1,700 tons of plastic bags are used per week, costing $12.5 million per year in collection and disposal fees.
Along with the removal of the litter, some of the collected plastic items will be recycled into Ocean Plastic that Parley will use to make a special edition of their ocean bags. The bags, which will include a limited “I Love NY” logo piece, will be available upon the start of the plastic bag ban in March. Further, the Foundation for New York’s Strongest will receive 20% of profits from the special edition bags, which is planned to be used for environmentalism programming and other educational purposes.
“The NYC Department of Sanitation is committed to keeping the City healthy, safe and clean, and city residents are our partners in the effort,” said Sanitation Acting Commissioner Steven Costas. “We count on residents to put litter where it belongs – in a litter basket – to help keep it off of our streets, beaches, and waterways.”
“Every day, New Yorkers generate unimaginable quantities of trash.
And every day, the men and women of the world’s largest sanitation department work to remove this trash and keep the city safe and clean,” said Cyrill Gutsch, founder and CEO of Parley for the Oceans. “It is an honor to announce our partnership with this special force, this last frontier in the battle against waste. Together, we will clean up New York’s beaches, up-cycle collected materials and create a series of Parley Ocean Bags that empower New Yorkers to rethink their choices and be part of the solution. For the Oceans.”
The cleanups will be taking place in Staten Island, Manhattan and Brooklyn on August 24th,September 13th, and September 21st. For info about volunteering at an upcoming clean-up event, or to pre-order a special edition Parley Ocean Bag, click here.
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