Volvo Ocean Race aims to turn the tide on plastic

The Volvo Ocean Race has joined forces with UN Environment in a bid to help reduce marine waste. The ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ initiative draws attention to the growing […]

The Volvo Ocean Race has joined forces with UN Environment in a bid to help reduce marine waste.

The ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ initiative draws attention to the growing menace of plastic waste in the world’s oceans.

One of the 65 boats will represent UN Environment’s ‘Clean Seas’ global campaign, which calls on governments, industry and citizens to end the excessive, wasteful use of single-use plastic and eliminate microplastics in cosmetics, during the 2017/18 edition of the professional sporting event.

Currently, it is estimated more than eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans each year, wreaking havoc on marine wildlife, fisheries and tourism and costing at least $8 billion (£6.2bn)  in damage to marine ecosystems.

The Volvo Ocean Race this year will take the teams 45,000 miles around the world, across four oceans, touching six continents and 12 host cities, with six of them hosting summits to bring together political, business and science leaders to find solutions to marine pollution.

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