It is Earth Day today.
Every day, including today, Everything But Water is committed to preserving our seas. Inspired by a lifestyle that celebrates the ocean, they launched their Water Is Everything initiative to protect the oceans for today – and for future generations.
The health of our planet is dependent on thriving, non-polluted aquatic ecosystems. Keeping a conversation going about the importance of this issue is central; however, Everything But Water understands it takes more than talk alone. They take action: coordinating beach clean-ups nationwide, donating proceeds from their sales to partner organizations, and examining the sustainability of their own business practices.
We sat down with Sabra Krock, owner of Everything But Water, to learn more about what drives their commitment and passion – and to see how we can support the cause.
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Tell us about the Water Is Everything initiative and your inspiration to create it.
We are committed to fighting the health crises facing our seas, including, most urgently, the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean. To this end, we launched our Water Is Everything campaign to educate, inspire action, and make an impact to preserve our world’s oceans. Everything But Water is all about the resort lifestyle – we are deeply committed to the health and beauty of our oceans.
You have partnered with The 5 Gyres Institute, a nonprofit comprised of scientists and environmentalists who believe that science can save oceans. It’s their goal to help end the global health crisis of plastic pollution. Together, what do you hope to achieve?
To put things in perspective, I want to share a few facts:
- By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight.
- There are 51 trillion microplastic particles in the ocean today. That is 500 times the number of stars in the galaxy.
- 500 million plastic straws are used in the United States every day – and many end up in the ocean.
We are working to amplify 5 Gyres’ message through our store, website, and social media platforms to help educate and create awareness. We are a sponsor of their activities through donations we achieve from the sale of dedicated items, and we have run a number of scientific expeditions and beach clean-ups to create awareness through first-hand experiences with what is floating in our oceans and on our beaches. We have also been able to expose the issues to our vendors, some of whom we have partnered with to create sustainable offerings for us which we then sell in our stores.
While little things may seem like just that, “little things,” they most certainly add up. What are some of the small steps people can take to reduce our plastic output and keep our oceans clean and in balance?
We promote conscious consumption and adjustments in our everyday habits that can make a huge difference. The most important action one can take is to reduce consumption of single use plastics, or fast-fashion – both of which are intended for quick disposal – but there is no “away.”
In addition, we have donation items all year round that assist in the important work 5 Gyres is doing. There are many choices one can make on an everyday basis, including looking for items made from sustainable materials or donating to organizations you care about. We are thrilled that Helen Jon will donate 20% of their Earth Day web sales to 5 Gyres.
Everything But Water uses business as a force for good, which is admirable and amazing. We have a feeling that there are other ideas percolating to further your mission. Is there anything upcoming that you can share with our readers?
Yes! We are launching a #trashtag challenge to invite customers and the public to roll up their sleeves and conduct a casual clean-up, group or solo. Entrants must post an image of their clean-up on Instagram with tags #wateriseverything #everythingbutwater #trashtag @everythingbutwater for a chance to win a two-night stay for two at 1 Hotel in South Beach and a $500 Everything But Water gift card, or one of two $250 Everything But Water gift cards.
Last year, a group of Helen Jon executives (see image below) participated in Water is Everything’s kick-off event, including a beach clean-up and dune restoration project. What other ideas can businesses implement to help facilitate change?
It’s a personal choice for every business. For us, it was simple: we knew where we wanted to direct our energy, our manpower, and our dollars. The ocean is central to who we are, and we care deeply about all environmental issues and making a difference.
Here are a few examples of the actions Everything But Water has taken. We have:
- Led five ocean trawling expeditions to sample and quantify microplastics in our seas.
- Organized 15 beach clean-ups nationwide collecting over 470 pounds of trash, one of which Gwyn Prentice, Helen Jon’s founder, and other members of their executive team, joined in.
- Facilitated in-school educational programs for over 700 children in 2nd - 8th grades; and
- Created awareness campaigns in-store, via our email program, and on our website and blog, The Daily Drop.
We will not stop here either, this is just the beginning. And the best part is that doing good feels good. It’s fun to live a life and run a business with purpose and with a higher cause in mind.
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All of us at Helen Jon are so proud to partner with you, to help protect and preserve our oceans. We are pleased to be donating 20% of our Earth Day web sales to The 5 Gyres Institute.