SMTP2GO donates to a number of charities each year that are close to its heart and hometown, Christchurch (New Zealand). This year, we took it a step further and encouraged our employees (who are based all over the world) to take time out of their working day to volunteer or just do their “bit” in an area of their choice.
So far, we’ve had Charlotte, who volunteered on a local school trip, and me, Teresa, who took part in a beach clean.
Beach clean
Protecting our oceans has been at the forefront of people’s minds over recent years, as the impact waste is having on our planet (in particular, plastic), is simply hard to avoid/ignore. That’s why I was particularly surprised to find what was left behind after a yearly event on holiday this year.
Each year on the 14th August, bonfires, drinks and food are often enjoyed on the beach at night to celebrate this particular festival (I am being very vague here as to not highlight a certain country, this is a worldwide issue). Everyone has a great time and jumps in the sea at the strike of midnight. However, the aftermath of this joyous event and what was left behind on the beach was simply unforgivable.
I could kick myself for not taking a “before” picture, but as you can see from the image below, we picked up A LOT of rubbish, trolleys included! Not only was it dangerous (the number of glass bottles found was alarming), it’s a huge hit on our oceans, adding in volume to the waste we already create on a daily basis.
Umpteen products have been released recently to help reduce waste, and we are gradually more informed about recycling and so on. But it’s clear that we still need to focus on the basics as well “to not leave our sh#t behind and clean up after ourselves”, to put it bluntly.
If we are going to make a difference and fast, we need to all work together. What I experienced on the morning 15th August, seemed like a huge step back. 😢
Let’s get serious! #saveouroceans 🌊 #savetheplanet 🌍 #zerowaste 🗑
