June 8 is World Oceans Day, the United Nations day for celebrating the role of the oceans in our everyday life and inspiring action to protect the ocean and sustainably use marine resources. In 1992, Canada first proposed the concept of a World Oceans Day at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In December 2008, the UN General Assembly passed a Declaration to officially recognize the Day. Since then, on the 8th of June every year, people around our blue planet celebrate and honor our ocean, which connects us all. This year World Oceans Day has a keen focus on 30×30 – the global drive to protect at least 30% of the land and ocean by the year 2030.
Notably, oceans contain 99 percent of the living space on the planet. They cover 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, and hold 97 percent of our planet’s water.
Our ocean provides countless benefits to our planet and all the creatures that live here. The ocean produces over half of the world's oxygen and helps feed the world. Fish is a primary source of protein for more than 3.1 billion people worldwide - that’s nearly half the world’s population! In addition, many medicinal ingredients come from the ocean, including ones that can help fight cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease.
The beauty industry is taking steps to protect ocean health by making an impact and bringing sustainability into their business models. Many companies are shifting their focus from “being green” to “going blue”.
According to Jillian Wright, founder of the Indie Beauty Expo, "Green beauty is about the transparency of ingredients, where these ingredients are sourced, how they are harvested, manufactured, what resources are used to produce the formulas, how it is packaged and distributed," she said. Blue beauty is a segment of this, but is more concerned with the oceans' well-being and preservation. Companies are moving towards zero-waste packaging, or packaging that is virtually plastic free.
Plastic pollution is a major threat to oceans. It is estimated that 150 million metric tons of plastic circulate the world’s oceans, with an additional 8 million metric tons added every year.
At MASAMI, we are striving every day to find new ways to reduce our plastic production, proactively replenish the nutrient rich, ocean botanicals and support those who believe in ocean conservation. To this end, we are developing eco-friendly refillable shampoo and conditioner bottles to help reduce plastic waste. One ceramic bottle will replace up to 36 plastic 10 oz bottles. We are making a cardboard, refill carton to accompany it with hopes that we can impact consumer behavior.
In addition, we created The MASAMI INSTITUTE, to aid in rebalancing the ocean ecosystem and support the local people in the northeast region of Japan, an area that is still feeling the effects of climate change every day. Our team works with the local fisherman and coastline preservation groups to research, monitor, and document each season’s growth of Mekabu, the main ingredient in our products. Our goal is ultimately to preserve and restore the fragile ocean ecosystem, and to educate the world about the importance of maintaining balance in our world.
Personally, we can all take small steps to make a difference. We can use reusable bags at the grocery store, use reusable water bottles, participate in a beach or local waterway cleanup. Every action will help protect and restore our shared ocean ensuring a healthy home for both marine and human life.
What are you doing to celebrate World Oceans Day?
