Quotes:

SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH - naturalist and television presenter

‘We have to act and we have to act now to repair some of the appalling damage that we have done to our oceans. The notion that it would be a barrier to removing plastic from the ocean because it might cost something is truly absurd. The cost of doing nothing is enormously greater than doing nothing. There is no such thing as AWAY because plastic is so permanent and so indestructible that when you cast it into the ocean it does not go AWAY.

‘We should be grateful for all the useful things plastic can do but the people who provide the plastic should also have some degree of responsibility about how it’s disposed. We can make a demand on the people who put plastic into our lives: to make plastic easier to recycle and not to use it gratuitously. Our children will have to pay a much higher price unless we change out behaviour now.’

BEN FOGLE - Explorer and television presenter (Plastic Oceans patron)

‘I am thrilled and honoured to be patron of the Plastic Oceans Foundation. Having spent a great deal of time over the years, both on and below the water, I have become increasingly concerned with the state of our oceans. What were once considered ‘untouchable’ to man’s influence, the world’s oceans are slowly succumbing to man and his pollutants. Ever since I rowed across the Atlantic and found huge amounts of discarded waste I’ve discovered that what you see on the surface is genuinely just the tip of the iceberg. On my journey to Sri Lanka with the Plastic Oceans team I found it quite shocking to swim through a horrible slick of plastic floating on the ocean. You name it and we found it – bottles, coat hangars, plastic bags, food packaging. But it’s what’s underneath that’s truly horrifying because as the plastic breaks down into much smaller particles it’s much easier for marine life to swallow. My experience here in the Indian Ocean has reinforced my passion to do something about it and to help raise awareness that this is a problem that’s going to affect us all.’

JO RUXTON - marine scientist, founder of Plastic Oceans Foundation and former BBC Natural History producer

‘This film will go a step beyond the usual environmental story because it is not all about doom and gloom. There are incredibly positive steps being taken to put and end to the plague of so-called ‘disposable plastic’. The film will be a powerful representation of the crisis caused by plastic pollution in our oceans but it will also show just how simple it will be for everyone to play their part in not only reversing the problems but solving a host of other issues at the same time. It’s about making a difference.’

CRAIG LEESON – award winning filmmaker, Film Director for Future Planet Films production on behalf of Plastic Oceans Foundation

‘On the surface, the film is an epic adventure to the far reaches of the planet. On a deeper level it's a journey that every one of us has already taken as we have grown up with modern conveniences, such as plastic. It's about how we have used those conveniences and disposed of them without thinking about the consequences. I want the finished film to be beautiful, thought provoking and shocking but also one that I hope will inspire people.’

Talking about the success of the first major shoot off the coast of Sri Lanka, March 2011, Leeson says, ‘We couldn't have chosen a more difficult subject to film. Little is known about the Blue Whale, where it lives, where it travels, how it mates or where it gives birth. Trying to find a Blue Whale is like looking for an enormous toothpick in a gigantic haystack. Armed with the best possible natural history film team, we pushed our luck and luck smiled our way. I cannot describe the feeling of seeing that first underwater footage of the mighty Blues. It exceeded expectation and set the benchmark for the rest of the film for what should be an incredible project.’

DAVID JONES - diving specialist dealing with ‘Sustainability, Business Strategies & Education’ for Plastic Oceans Foundation

‘Education is crucial if we are going to resolve the issue of marine plastic pollution. We can all be involved in the clean-up process by preventing the problem from getting worse. Marine waste is only caused by two things – human neglect or inadequate waste management processes. We need to change attitudes, possibly culture and definitely our behavior to achieve results. So education is a vital tool to bring about a lasting change and save our oceans for the future.’

THE HARD FACTS:

  • Plastic production uses 8% of the world’s oil. 4% of this is actually used in energy consumption to make the plastic
  • Most of the world’s waste is produced by the developed world; about 5% of the global population
  • We are currently producing 300 million tonnes of plastic per year. About half of this will be used just once and thrown away.
  • Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute.
  • A plastic bag has an average ‘working life’ of 15 minutes.
  • In the US alone, 60 million plastic bottles are thrown away every day.
  • Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century.