Maverick Musings #3
600+ volunteers joined marine litter clean up efforts across Kerala

Maverick Musings #3


No alt text provided for this image
Volunteers proudly displaying the marine litter collected during our cleanup operation in Trivandrum ????????.
“No one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced” - David Attenborough

Welcome to the third edition of ?? Maverick Musings ??


No alt text provided for this image
source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/

We begin the third edition with heartfelt prayers for the people of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The severe cyclonic storm- Mocha will force almost 2.8 million people at risk of displacement.?

This edition focuses on the urgent concern of marine litter—an environmental challenge with profound implications for marine ecosystems, global economies, and our very own health.

?We apologize for the slight delay in bringing you this edition, but for a fantastic reason. We've had an exciting and action-packed week organizing a series of ????marine litter campaigns across the enchanting locales of Kochi, Trivandrum, and Alappuzha in Kerala, as part of a notable G20 event. Thank you for your patience, and now let's dive into the depths of this critical topic.

The cleanup was organized in association with Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India Directorate of Environment & Climate Change Green Worms CleanHub EichhoTech & GIZ India

More than 500+ volunteers joined hands on the 21st of May in the event to collect 1700kg of marine litter!

While hosting marine litter cleanups isn't the ultimate solution to this pervasive issue, such activities play a pivotal role in generating public awareness and fostering a more environmentally conscious citizenry.

Beyond just awareness, every bit of trash retrieved from our oceans serves a much larger purpose. It contributes to preserving marine ecosystems, which directly influences the food security of millions globally. Additionally, it aids in maintaining the health of our oceans—the planet's most significant carbon sink—bolstering our collective efforts against climate change.

??14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean 
every year- IUCN

??Every week the average person consumes a credit card 
size worth of plastic.
- Newcastle University & WWF        
Mastering green skills
No alt text provided for this image
Green Worms team, weighing waste prior to processing - every kilo counts in our mission for cleaner seas! ??????

To organize marine litter cleanups, it's essential to equip ourselves with the right skills. These crucial professional abilities are required to successfully organize and execute such environmentally significant initiatives.




  • Mastering waste segregation

To host a successful cleanup, understanding waste segregation is crucial. This means categorizing collected litter appropriately—paper, glass, medical waste, footwear or leather, and especially plastics. The latter is further divided based on type and density, including low-density (e.g., grocery bags), high-density (e.g., detergent bottles), legacy waste (e.g., outdated plastic furniture), and single-use plastics (e.g., straws).

This segregation process enables tailored recycling approaches, ensuring that plastics are appropriately processed according to their composition. By subjecting plastics to specialized recycling methods, such as cleaning, melting, and reforming, their transformative potential is harnessed, granting them a second life as new products or materials. Even non-recyclable plastics find purpose through proper disposal methods, whether through energy generation or appropriate containment in controlled environments.

  • Volunteer Mobilization

Effectively rallying volunteers is a vital skill for climate action. This involves a multi-step process, including establishing clear project goals, designing a robust recruitment strategy, raising awareness about the cause, and providing necessary training and resources.

Fostering a sense of community by creating meaningful and rewarding experiences is essential. Solid communication strategies to keep volunteers informed, engaged, and motivated play a crucial role, as does recognize their efforts and celebrating collective achievements.

Effective volunteer mobilization not only augments community involvement but also elevates awareness and leads to a substantial impact on marine litter issues.

Furthermore, collaboration with governmental organizations or other entities to provide non-monetary incentives, such as certificates, can be an attractive strategy, especially for engaging student volunteers.


Siezing opportunities?

  • ?? Call to Action from Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University to future generations. This is an amazing opportunity for second-year bachelor's degree students to prepare solution-focused documents to be presented at COP 28. The team of three can participate in the virtual mock negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP). The simulations are designed in a manner where participants understand and reciprocate the diversity of global climate challenges.

Themes: Oceans | Loss and damage mechanism | Energy transition

This eLearning course has been specifically designed to bolster the capabilities of cities in managing plastic waste effectively. This course aims to help cities reach their local, national, and regional objectives tied to sustainable development by enhancing their understanding and approach to managing plastic waste.


Youth-led initiatives?
No alt text provided for this image
source: https://give.do/projects/project-disc-in

  • ???????????"The Language of Play". A group of young minds came together to strengthen and foster younger earthlings to the differences in our society. Just.Play, is a non-profit NGO based out of Ernakulam, Kerala currently working with more than 120 students in Cochin and Bangalore.?Their first on-ground project Project Disc In focuses on mixed-gender interactions and life skills facilitation through sports.

Know more about the founders Mathew Tom , Malavika Liz George , Peter J Pulikkunnel , Anand Varghese Mathew , and Cyril Binoy .

  • ???? ???? Coastal Students Cultural Forum is established as a coastal student and youth-led organization primarily working for the capacity development of students from the Trivandrum coast, in leadership skills for coastal resilience, education, and community health.

Know more about the founders Sindhu Nepolean


Eco headlines

?? Federal Environment Minister rejects proposal to Mine near the Great Barrier Reef. WOAH! "I've decided that the adverse environmental impacts are simply too great" WOAH! WOAH! somebody is making sense.

The decision was made after realizing the irreversible potential damage to the already vulnerable reef. The undertaking would have encompassed two open-cut excavations, a type of open-pit coal mining that would have resulted in the extraction of 10 million tonnes of coal annually. But the warming of oceans has destroyed the World Heritage-listed reef so much that the added burden will never compensate for the "commercial sense of it". Well, either way, WOAH.

???? CSE launches coastal cities’ coalition to fight marine litter crisis

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Delhi has pioneered a groundbreaking initiative—a Coalition of Coastal Cities—aimed at curbing marine litter pollution across India. Launched on April 19, 2023, this coalition serves as a united front in addressing the 80% of marine litter originating from poorly managed land waste. The creation of this coalition signals a significant step forward in pooling resources, knowledge, and efforts to tackle this pressing issue.


A few insights from our CEO

???? Hey there, Ocean Defenders!

In recent years, we've seen the rise of a formidable force—hundreds of youth leaders spearheading marine litter management efforts worldwide. ?? Their dedication has been crucial in spreading awareness about marine litter and pushing for policy reforms. Some of these cleanups have even sparked innovative solutions! ??

However, we're now facing a bigger challenge—the surge in plastic production. ?? As our dependency on plastic grows, it's crucial we take significant strides to curb this reliance, which is the only sustainable solution. At the same time, we're committed to recovering as much marine litter as we can because our oceans and marine life are vital for our survival. ????

Here are some unique tips from our cleanup crusaders, that could make a difference:

?? In hotter climates, volunteers can get exhausted pretty quickly. The sweet spot for cleanup? Less than 2 hours. So, gear up for speedy collection and make the most of our human resources.

?? When collecting waste, give it a quick rinse to wash off the mud, ensuring maximum recyclability. It might be resource-intensive, but it's worth it!

?? Find a reliable partner who specializes in waste management. Big shoutout to CleanHub and Green Worms for their incredible work in processing our collected waste!

?? Make sure nothing goes to waste! This time when volunteers forgot to bring their tea cups, we found a local tea shop to that took our surplus tea!

?? Segregating and weighing waste at the source is super important. Let's get it right!

A big shoutout to Deepa Ananthapadmanabhan Souparna V Sarath S Kurup Shilpa Sasidharan Avinash from SUSTERA team. And lastly, a HUGE thanks ?? to all the amazing volunteers who joined us. We couldn't have done it without you!

Let's continue this journey together, making our oceans cleaner and safer, one cleanup at a time. ??????

-Sanju Soman


From our archives to yours?

This captivating video we crafted a few years ago, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of saying no to plastic straws. A must-watch for all environmental enthusiasts!


We also created a tool kit for youngsters to do "no straw" campaign. Check this out.

No alt text provided for this image
??Click the image to download the toolkit!

??And that's a wrap, Ocean Warriors! ??

We hope this edition of our SUSTERA newsletter not only informed you but also inspired you to take action. Remember, every bit counts when it comes to preserving our beloved oceans. ????

No matter how big or small your contribution is, it matters. Just like a tiny drop creates ripples in the ocean, your actions can ripple out and inspire change far beyond what you can see. ????

Please, don't forget to share this newsletter with your friends and family. We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a note if something in this edition inspired you, or if you took any action based on what you learned here. ??

Until next time, let's keep our spirits high and our oceans clean! Here's to creating a sustainable future together. ??????

No alt text provided for this image
Capturing a memorable moment with Trivandrum's Collector, Sub Collector, and Assistant Collector as we wrapped up our cleanup event!
Mathew Tom

Development Professional | Climate Action | Sustainable Development | Policy Research, M&E, and Strategy Expert | Sports for Development

1 年

We Just.Play really appreciate your love and support, team Sustera Foundation ??

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Sustera Foundation的更多文章

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了