Relate this week launched its new Save Our Oceans bracelet, aimed at boosting awareness of the extent to which plastic pollution is threatening the health of our oceans, and offering ordinary people a chance to help make a big difference. The bracelet was created in collaboration with the WWF, and the 100% not-for-profit bracelet will be sold online and at select Woolworths stores.
South Africa’s oceans are home to more than 12 000 species, and the country’s coastal goods and services contribute about one-third of our total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Globally, over 1 billion people rely on our oceans for food, and over 10% of the population rely on fishing-related activities for their income.
“Our oceans supply half the oxygen we breathe, and are also home to a wondrous array of wild species, from tiny plankton to the blue whale, the biggest creature that’s ever existed. But they’re in crisis due to decades of over-exploitation and irresponsible practices.”
“It’s time to change the way we see our oceans – from places where we take what we want and dump what we don’t, to a shared resource of immense value and fragility,” says WWF Behaviour Change Lead Pavitray Pillay.
The bracelet is now available for purchase on the Woolworths website and in-store at a cost of R35.
After a difficult 2020 in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Relate Trust have been working hard to ensure their contributions that make such an enormous difference to the lives of South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens continue uninterrupted.
Having raised over R60 million in its 10 years of operation, Relate has always been at the forefront of supporting crucial causes. With close to 4 million bracelets being sold to date, they are set to now expand their footprint with the introduction of the Save Our Oceans bracelet. All proceeds from this new offering will go directly to the WWF, which has a long history of working to protect our oceans, marine life, and the communities they support.
“One of our greatest triumphs this year has been the ability to continue raising funds for our beneficiaries. From helping people living in desperate conditions and improving education for young people, to supporting animal welfare and saving our oceans, we have fought hard to ensure the pandemic did not overshadow these very valid causes,” Relate CEO Neil Robinson explains. “We hope to see South Africans and people from across the globe purchase our new WWF Save Our Oceans bracelet, in order to preserve not only our marine life, but also the futures of those dependent on our oceans for their livelihoods”.