It’s Plastic Free Month and as such a chance to raise awareness of charities working to reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans to keep them healthy for each of us and marine and shore life.

Surfers Against Sewage have a number of different ways you can get involved to reduce the plastic in our oceans, so please take a trip around their website and take a look at how you can get involved, even if it’s just to spread the word.

Earlier this year, they asked people to joined the #ReturnToOffender campaign to challenge big brands on the volume of plastic and packaging pollution found on beaches and other wild spaces.

They have now revealed the results for the worst plastic offenders and you can see who they are here.  12 big brands were responsible for over half of the UK's plastic and packaging pollution, with Coca Cola leading the way.  The "Dirty Dozen" also included Walkers Crisps, Lucozade Energy, Pepsi, KFC, Nestle, Costa Coffee, Cadbury UK, Red Bull, MacDonalds, Tesco and MarsGlobal. 

I’ve dived around their website tonight – here are some ways you can leap in and make a difference to life in our oceans.  

There are things you’d expect such as Join a Clean, Go Plastic Free, and Become a Member, but they also have a number of things you can do to put the pressure on:

1. Lead a plastic free community.  There are already 600 community leaders across the UK working to achieve plastic free status in their villages, towns and cities.
   
   
2. A call on the Government to #EndSewagePollution to end sewage pollution and guarantee safe-seas all year round.
   
   
3. Tell your MP to make a pledge to protect the ocean.
   
   
4. Organise a mass unwrap – this highlights the level of plastic packaging in supermarkets.  It puts pressure on them to change.   Shop and pay as normal then unwrap food to put straight into bags, boxes or re-usable containers.  Volunteers collect the plastic and put it into empty trollies to show how much waste is generated in a very short time.

Remember, you don’t have to live on the coast to make a difference.  Plastic is finding its way into the sea, our marine life and onto our beaches.

Let’s all be a voice for the ocean.

If you can't be with the one you love: send them a bear hug.

And Animals Asia gives you the chance to do just that, literally to send a bear hug to your loved ones!

Send a bear hug 
Give the bear sanctuaries with Animal Asia your support!
©Animals Asia

Animals Asia rescue bears who have been trapped by the dreadful bear bile industry.   Bears love hugs, just like we do – and so the bear sanctuaries Animals Asia have in China and Vietnam are really important to them. 

Today, I sent 5 people I love Bear Hugs!   It’s easy to do.

Send a bear hug today!

This bear is having a blissful time in the pool
Visit Animals Asia's You Tube Pages

When you send a bear hug, you can also help real bears by making a gift.   They are asking that, if you can, please make a donation of £5 for each hug you send – and then they can help real bears!   You can make a donation in £, $, Euros, Australian $ or Hong Kong $.

 
Ape Action Africa need help and they have come up with a scheme to enable anyone who can help and wants to help to Buy a Gorilla a Dinner!

The charity is passionate about great ape conservation in Cameroon. They are working to address the immediate threats that gorillas and chimps face in Africa.  And they are working with communities to come up with some long-term solutions to ensure the gorillas can survive in the wild.  We rescue orphaned and injured gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys, and work hard to look after them thereafter.

Their problem is that because of the coronavirus, their sanctuary is shut to visitors.  They have had to suspend their volunteer porgramme, their major fundraising events have been postponed, their income has fallen - and they still have to care for 280 rescued over 280 rescued gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys.

Consequently they need all our help and they are asking people to swing over to their website and to make a donation to Buy a Gorilla a Dinner.

You could make this a fundraiser on Giving Tuesday and invite friends and family for a virtual dinner to help this cause along!  They have a PDF you can download for more information.