World Ocean Day: How you can save the sea whilst you’re on holiday

World Ocean Day is a timely reminder of the impact human actions have on the planet.

Flavio Affinito, 25, is a co-founder of Nuoceans, a London-based start-up company aiming to put an end to the tide of unrecyclable plastic flip flops polluting the sea.

Their sandals are uniquely designed with the waste materials that pollute the oceans.

However, not everyone has to think of radical ideas to make a change.

Flavio said: “The most important thing for all of us is to consider where we can make a difference on a personal level.

“The changes we make have to be sustainable for us to be sustainable for the planet. Simply eradicating the use of plastic bags is a huge step in the right direction, small changes make a big difference.”

With lockdown lifting and travel becoming more accessible again, Flavio shares his tips on how to be kind to the planet when visiting the beach.

He said: “Don’t leave anything behind, whatever you take with you make sure you bring it back or dispose of it immediately. Even better, if you see rubbish on the beach, pick up whatever is lying there and help out those who have been less careful.”

On where people could be flying to this summer, Flavio said: “We should book holidays on a much smaller scale, I’m not talking about the location but avoiding package holidays that are based in resorts responsible for pollution and catering for masses. Instead, we should be listening to the locals, dining in their restaurants, going on their boat trips and visiting their beaches.”

When discussing popular documentaries on Netflix, like The Octopus Teacher and Seaspiracy, Flavio deciphered why they are important to help raise awareness about the impact of human actions on the ecosystem. He said: “Although places like Seaworld have been boycotted, there are places like in Asia where animals continue to be treated poorly. These documentaries help to keep the love of our ocean alive.

“When people travel abroad, they need to get on boats and go see marine mammals in person, not behind the glass at an aquarium. The Canary Islands are renowned for their local tours, they have charter boats where the animals are respected and loved. It allows people to truly connect with the ocean and get people thinking about how to protect the marine wildlife.”

Once a fishmonger, now a converted vegan, Flavio continued: “We should 100% be giving up fish from our diets. The way they are caught is like a bulldozer to the seabed, we are subsequently killing the planet for selfish means. There is simply no sustainable fishing anymore.

“The best way to protect fish is to not eat any. It’s a minor inconvenience to remove fish from our diets and due to the pollution in the ocean most fish are now grown on farms and artificially dyed, meaning that even the nutritional benefits have been lost.”

When asked about why people still need to be raising awareness with events such as World Ocean Day, Flavio added: “People sadly don’t care. Humans are too comfortable, unwilling to change. It is down to the younger generations to be the driving force that helps to rescue our oceans and undo the damage generations have done before us.

“We need to make things personal and get people to explore the ocean themselves to appreciate it and love it. The challenge of cleaning our oceans is huge but I’d argue that it gives us purpose. We now have a purpose to repair the world.”