News
More than a ‘smidge’ of litter as eco brand cleans up Sand Bay
Bristol staff see single-use plastic problem first hand as they partner with Marine Conservation Society
The UK’s leading marine charity says it’s delighted that south west eco brand ‘Smidge’ is putting its money where its mouth is by getting staff involved in a beach clean and litter survey to see just how much single-use plastic is impacting our coastline.
Bristol-based ‘Smidge’ has partnered with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and will be making a donation to the charity from every product sold from its new 100% natural collection made from plant materials, which includes coffee cups, plates, bowls and cutlery.
45 Smidge staff visited Sand Bay, near Weston-super-Mare, on June 25th to take part in a beach clean led by MCS staff. They collected 66kgs of litter, equating to a staggering 1,302 items of rubbish along the 100m of beach surveyed – that’s well above the national average. Unsurprisingly, 76% of the litter picked up was made of plastic/polystyrene, highlighting the importance of brands like Smidge working with alternatives.
MCS works to raise awareness of the many threats that face our seas and the most pressing of these is the proliferation of single-use plastic that is found in the oceans and on beaches. During last year’s MCS-led Great British Beach Clean, 601 pieces of litter were picked up for every 100 metres cleaned by the charity’s volunteer litter pickers.
MCS Beachwatch Officer Lizzie Prior, who led the clean-up, said: “The drizzly weather certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of the Smidge team who were incredibly engaged with the clean itself and with the source to sea story of litter. I hope seeing the situation first hand will help cement the brand’s commitment in continuing to work on an even wider range of multi-use products going forward.”
“The team were really excited to come together and do something new that really fits in with the values of Smidge,” said Rob Jones, Managing Director at Smidge. “The work MCS do for our environment is really important and we are hoping that, with time, the plastic washed up on our beaches won’t be such a significant issue. This is something that Smidge as a brand really cares about and we hope to get involved and help wherever we can”
Sabah Shafi, Marketing Communications Executive at Smidge said: “The brand is passionate about being environmentally friendly as well as being fun and colourful. This beach clean has been our way of starting off Smidge, by trying to contribute and ‘do our bit.’ The Smidge team have really enjoyed it”
Pam Dorritt, Smidge Warehouse Manager from Bristol, who took part in the clean said: “Yesterday’s beach clean was not only good for cleaning the beach but also good for team building. Everyone went away feeling good at being able to take part in this and quite pleased at what we had managed to collect. I think we all now have a greater awareness of what is harming the sea life. It’s not just the obvious like plastic bags and bottles and nets but all the things we had not considered like the wipes, cotton buds, sanitary products. I am sure we will now all be more aware of the way we dispose of our waste and I hope we have the opportunity to take part again.”
James Robinson, Smidge Marketing Manager from Bristol, said: “Great day, had by all! MCS were inspiring and informative, shocked by the 66Kilos of plastic we collected. I slept really well (not sure if it was the sea air or knowing I had done my little bit). The next beach clean is already in the family diary.”
Dr Laura Foster, MCS Head of Clean Seas said: “Reducing single use plastic items and replacing with them multi-use products is vital if we are to make inroads on the amount of single-use plastic that enters our oceans. Reusability is the key going forward and the more items we can use again and again the less that will end up in our oceans.”
For more information about the Marine Conservation Society please visit their website by clicking here.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
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SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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