Well done! You have reached the end of the #28DayOceanPledgeChallenge, and with that, you have a good solid start to changing your subconscious behaviour and buying patterns. You’ve been exposed to the many aspects of your day-to-day life that have a negative impact on the environment, from your food’s packaging and the impact of your take-out habits, to your toothpaste and how you wash your clothes – and it’s a lot. So, as you move towards a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle, we ask you to think about what you’ve learned and what change, even if it’s just a small one, you can take forward for the rest of your life.

Even if it’s just one thing, we ask you to make your ocean pledge here:

Make a lasting Ocean Pledge here

What can I do?

The past 28 days have given you many small things that you can do to make a positive change. We ask you to commit to at least one of these pledges and to make this your new, sustainable, lasting behaviour. Then, once you feel that you have made this behaviour part of your daily habit or routine, commit to the next pledge and make that part of your daily life. Systematically change your everyday behaviours to ones that are more environmentally responsible.

Realistically, not everyone can be a Bea Johnson, but that’s ok – we are NOT asking you to commit to all of these pledges at once. What we are asking you is to start with just ONE THING – something sustainable – and keep it going!

I want to make my first pledge

Why does it matter?

It’s often tempting to assign blame for environmental issues – “it’s shoppers and their plastic bags”, “its’ all Big Oil”, “it’s the rich in their private jets”… the truth is that it doesn’t matter who is to blame, what matters is who has the power to change it. And YOU do. Your choices at home about what products to buy, what brands to support, the types of celebrities you reward with fandom, the politicians we elect and the environmental polities they support, are what shapes the economic landscape in which all the advances towards sustainability AND the horrible environmental destruction take place.

In the end, our choices are what makes the change. If you choose to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle, you are choosing to have a positive impact on the environment. And that matters.

A few last things to bear in mind when wanting to save our oceans and our planet:

1. You are important. The choices you make are important. Where you spend your money is important. How you live is important.
2. Change can be slow but small steps are still steps after all. These small steps can, over time, lead to positive and lasting change.
3. A single and specific goal is often the most sure-fire way to create change. Start somewhere.
4. There is no better time than NOW to be the change you wish to see.
5. It is OK to ask for help. This 28 Day Challenge is designed to give some ideas of how you can take action. Please get in touch if you feel like we have missed something or you need guidance.
6. In the end, it is all about starting with just one thing. Breathe, choose one thing to commit to, and stick with it.

Make a lasting Ocean Pledge here

If you’ve made your pledge, encourage others to do the same. The more people making a small positive change, the bigger the impact we can have.

Myth-busting: “I can’t make a difference”

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama

You are not just one person, you are a member of the largest team on Earth. Your small actions can and do inspire others in small ways, so never think that you aren’t making a difference. Always remember, one person started all this:

Who can I follow?

During the past 28 days, we have introduced you to people and organisations who are all making a difference and are all offering advice and help with making a shift in your behaviour as you move towards an environmentally-friendly lifestyle. There are hundreds more that we haven’t mentioned. Have a look around for people to follow, who you find inspiring and feel will give you a good footing going forward. Be prepared to take their advice and implement it into your life.

But we’d like to make one special mention, Diony Lalieu of Ocean Pledge, who was behind this challenge. Diony, like you, is just one person doing what she can to make a difference!

 

“Ocean Pledge is committed to turning awareness into action. We believe that each individual has the power to save the world by committing to make one, small realistic and meaningful change at a time. It is through the collective of individual actions we will co-create the groundswell of positive change, shifting paradigms and turning the tide on single-use plastic and our throw away culture for good. Every drop counts!”– Diony Lalieu, Ocean Pledge

 

Make an Ocean Pledge

Want to catch up on the previous days?

Not a problem, catch up here:

• Day 1: “I pledge to make a start” here
• Day 2: “I pledge to buy less stuff”
• Day 3: “I pledge to step away from the throw-away culture”
• Day 4: “I pledge to bin it right”
• Day 5: “I pledge to choose sustainable seafood”
• Day 6: “I pledge to rethink the bag”
• Day 7: “I pledge to give up cling wrap”
• Day 8: “I pledge to become a microbead detector”
• Day 9: “I pledge to say no to plastic bottles”
• Day 10: “I pledge to eat less meat”
• Day 11: “I pledge to minimise plastic packaging”
• Day 12: “I pledge to give up plastic straws”
• Day 13: “I pledge to ditch polystyrene”
• Day 14: “I pledge to say no to balloons and plastic party décor”
• Day 15: “I pledge to be energy-conscious”
• Day 16: “I pledge to bring my own cup”
• Day 17: “I pledge to wash my clothes cooler, slower and less frequently”
• Day 18: “I pledge to compost”
• Day 19: “I pledge to make my existing plastic last longer”
• Day 20: “I pledge to buy second hand items”
• Day 21: “I pledge to wrap gifts responsibly”
• Day 22: “I pledge to green my commute”
• Day 23: “I pledge to cut a loop”
• Day 24: “I pledge to make my wardrobe more ocean-friendly”
• Day 25: “I pledge to join an environmental cleanup”
• Day 26: “I pledge to be alert about greenwashing”