Deakin and Blue and Love The Oceans (LTO) have worked together for the last two years and we're thrilled to be working with this high-impact, female-founded, marine conservation organisation again this summer.

Recognised in 2019 by HRHs The Duke and Duchess of Sussex as one of their #ForcesForChange, Love The Oceans comprises a brilliant team of individuals working to have a positive impact on the planet. 

Starting on the 5th May, we're running a week-long give away on our Instagram pages (@deakinandblue @lovetheoceans), giving you a chance to win a £100 gift voucher for D&B. Make sure you're following both accounts on Instagram to be in with a chance of winning. 

Here, Love The Oceans Founder Francesca tells us a bit more about Love The Oceans and their reasons for partnering with us again this year. 

So… what is Love The Oceans?

Love the Oceans (LTO) is a non-profit marine conservation organisation working in Jangamo Bay, Mozambique since 2014. Jangamo, whilst home to a huge host of marine life, has never been studied in depth for any prolonged amount of time. LTO is working to protect and study the diverse marine life found here, including many species of sharks, rays and the famous humpback whales. We use research, education and diving to drive action towards a more sustainable future. Our ultimate goal is to establish a Marine Protected Area for the Inhambane Province in Mozambique, achieving higher biodiversity whilst protecting endangered species.

LTO does lots of different areas of research: ocean trash, coral reef surveys, humpback whales, megafauna and fisheries, as well as two community outreach projects, teaching marine conservation and swimming skills.

Why are you running a give-away campaign with Deakin and Blue?

First of all, we’re a marine conservation organisation so we’re ALWAYS on the lookout for decent swim kit, our staff and volunteers spend most of their time in and around the water so it’s absolutely essential to have hardy swimwear that can stand the test of time. We’re a predominantly women-led organisation (through no biased, that’s just the way the chips have fallen) and our Founder is a woman, so we just LOVE Deakin and Blue’s costumes.

Secondly, and equally as important, we love Deakin and Blue’s environmental policies. Deakin & Blue have committed to only working with environmentally and socially responsible suppliers and all their costumes are made of 100% recycled and regenerated consumer waste products, like discarded fishing nets – something very close to our hearts. Where we are in Mozambique we have a lot of trash washing up on shores so we know only too well the perils of consumer waste so appreciate Deakin and Blue working to combat this.

The Plastic Problem

Jangamo Bay, whilst beautiful, is situated on the edge of the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch. There are 5 large Garbage Patches around the world and the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch is the 3rd biggest at over 5 million kilometres squared. It’s essentially a massive gyre of litter suspended in the water column and consists of an array of different waste: discarded fishing gear, plastics, chemical sludge and other debris. Whilst a lot of this trash is believed to come from developing nations, we (the UK) actually export a lot of our waste to these nations which then ends up in the ocean so a lot of it actually comes down to us in the UK changing our habits.

If trash goes into the water in Indonesia, it’ll take around 6 years to do a full circle in the ocean currents to get back to the starting point, and that’s if it doesn’t get stuck in the middle of the ocean where it could remain…indefinitely. Scary, right? Right. So what can we do about it?

Life Hacks For Making An Impact

Cutting down on every day waste is an easy way to start. Skip the straw, take your own bag to the super market and choose the loose fruit that isn’t covered in plastic. Saying no to single use plastic is one of the easiest and most effective ways of immediately reducing your trash footprint. Eco-conscious shopping is essential to changing the tide on plastics. There are also some really cool life hacks that can help curb your plastic addiction and save money at no inconvenience to you.

Try these:

• Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo toothbrush. They’re cheap and they last longer than plastic brushes! They’re just as good for your teeth too. 
• Cut our plastic milk cartons and go back to your milkman! This supports job creation and helps you be more sustainable. Find your local milkman and put your order in today.
• Avoid plastics, save money and cut food waste all at the same time with fruit and vegetable delivery organisations such as Oddbox.
• Swap to a re-usable water bottle and save money – you can fill up at coffee shops for free.
• Swap to a re-usable coffee cup. Lots of coffee shops offer discounts to customers using re-usable cups. 
• Use refill shops. You can take containers and refill them at refill shops all over the UK – zero waste shopping. Apps like Zero Waste Travel App can be really helpful with switching to this kind of shopping.
• If you’re a woman who has periods, switch to a menstrual cup – cheaper and zero waste! If you don’t want to switch to a menstrual cup there are tons of reusable pads and things on the market right now.
• Switch your disposable make-up wipes (these are really bad - for the planet and your skin) to reusable cotton pads.
• Use beeswax paper instead of clingfilm – they last for ages and come in funky colours.
• Source your clothes from environmentally conscious stores or second hand/vintage shops. That’s why Deakin and Blue is so great – you can treat yourself to an amazing new swimming costume but know you’re helping save the planet at the same time!

If you’re looking to get more actively involved in helping solve the plastic problem then you can look up your closest beach clean and lend a hand with Sea Shephard – they run beach cleans all over the UK.

Want more info?

If you want to read more about Love The Oceans or get involved in their work, you can check out their website and keep up-to-date with their daily activities via their social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.