We like to think of ourselves as bottle half-full people here at Dopper. Like that annoying friend who always looks on the bright side. It’s why we’re not fazed by the fact that 8 billion kg of plastic waste enters our oceans every year. Instead, we’re motivated. Because we know how we can make a difference.
How we maintain our cheery outlook? We focus on the good stuff. Even in a year like 2020. So for everyone in need of some good news, we’ve made a list of ocean related stuff worth celebrating this year. Keep reading for some serious silver linings.
1. The oceans can be restored by 2050
We’ll start you off with this: it’s not too late to fix things. Our oceans and marine life can recover – within 30 years.
And no, that’s not just our optimistic nature talking. This year, a group of researchers confirmed that despite what humans have put them through, our oceans can be restored. Reviewing previous recovery of marine populations, habitats and ecosystems, they concluded that we know what needs to be done, and how to do it.
That’s not to say it’ll be easy. In fact they refer to rebuilding marine life as a ‘doable Grand Challenge for humanity’. But we’re going to focus on the ‘doable’ and keep doing our part to save our oceans.
2. Operation Splashplastic: Dutch stores ban water balloons
In October 2020, we had ourselves a little Zoom party. Because that’s when 4,500 stores in the Netherlands officially banned water balloons and plastic confetti from their shelves. Which may sound like the opposite of fun, but is actually really exciting news for our oceans.
The ban is the result of some very cool campaign work by Plastic Soup Surfer Merijn Tinga and Zwerfinator Dirk Groot. They mobilised the community, resulting in nearly 10,000 geo-tagged photos of (bits of) water balloons polluting the streets.
Confronted with the evidence, big names like Hema, Bol.com, Albert Heijn and 4,497 other stores signed the Splashplastic Resolution, promising to no longer sell water balloons and plastic confetti. That means 4,500 less opportunities to buy plastic literally designed pollute the environment. See? Exciting news.
3. David Attenborough presents: A Life on Our Planet
At 94, we imagine we’ll be fairly pleased with ourselves for changing the attic lightbulb. Instead, Sir Attenborough is still changing the world, and using Instagram Reels to do it (#impressed). For those of us who prefer a more traditional medium, this year, he released his biographical documentary A Life on Our Planet. We won’t pretend to be even half the storyteller he is, so instead we’ll just leave this here for you to watch:
4. Meet the next generation of ocean-saving heroes
Change school curricula to include one lesson on plastic pollution a week, make food packaging out of seaweed or sell supermarket produce in Tupperware boxes. They’re just some of the ideas submitted by this year’s participants in the Dopper Changemaker Challenge Junior – our annual design competition that allows kids to come up with their solution to plastic pollution.
Every year, we’re amazed by the submissions which are often heart-warming, always inspiring and sometimes downright genius. Want to see for yourself? You can find all the 2020 submissions – and the winner – here.
5. The start – and growth – of a global movement
On World Oceans Day in 2020, we revealed a magic trick that turns everyday people into plastic pollution-fighting, ocean-saving heroes. Ok, maybe there was no trick. But on that day in June, we kick-started a global movement against single-use water bottles: the Dopper Wave.
Six months in, a whopping 300.436 individuals and organisations from all over the world are saving our oceans with simple everyday actions. Because they realise that while they can’t save the oceans alone, it starts with them. Want to do your part? Join the wave now (go on, we’ll wait).
For more regular updates on good things that happen to our oceans, follow us on social media and sign up to our newsletter. It’s a fun one, we promise.