Greenpeace

Greenpeace is arguably the world's most well-known organisation aimed at protecting the global environment. Started by a couple of activists in 1971, support from like-minded people quickly followed, and now Greenpeace enjoys a presence in over 40 countries, including the UK.

The goal of Greenpeace is to bring about positive environmental change through peaceful direct action. To achieve this, it investigates environmental areas of concern, documenting and highlighting the issues. By exposing environmental destruction, Greenpeace facilities change by lobbying governments, businesses and consumers, so that the planet can be safeguarded. A lot of the work that they undertake involves informing and educating people about the global problems and changing the way people think and behave - this can have a profound impact.

Greenpeace is passionate about defending the natural world from pollution, and many of its high profile campaigns focus on ways to protect our oceans and keep them clean, as well as eliminate toxins from the atmosphere. Preventing climate change is high on the agenda, with key areas including reducing fossil fuels, safeguarding rainforests from destruction and promoting clean energy as power sources. Greenpeace works hard to stamp out unsustainable fishing that can cause environmental havoc to marine habitats, as well as safeguarding the Arctic.

Although it has courted controversy with some of its actions in the past, Greenpeace maintains and fosters peace. In particular, the organisation is keen to banish nuclear weapons to create a safer world.

With the support of many countries and consumers, Greenpeace has proved successful at facilitating positive change. Its first campaign to stop nuclear testing led to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Some of its most profound environmental victories include declaring Antarctica a sanctuary from exploitation in 1991, banning toxic dumping at sea in 1993 and making mahogany exports from the Amazon rainforest illegal in 2002. Other more recent achievements include banning fracking in Scotland, highlighting the effect palm oil companies are having on forest destruction, and encouraging health food retailer Holland & Barratt to stop supplying krill oil products, which are a natural source of food for Antarctic marine life.

With plastic waste pollution also gaining prominence in recent times, Greenpeace has been instrumental in the war against banning microbeads, which can be consumed by marine life when they end up in the sea. Greenpeace also had a key role to play in introducing the plastic bag charge. Use of single-use plastic bags has since dropped by 85%, ensuring fewer bags end up polluting the sea.

Greenpeace doesn't rely on government funding, but instead it depends on foundation grants and the support of its 2.9 million followers. Consumers can get involved by signing campaign petitions, making a donation or fundraising by taking part in an event, volunteering in a Greenpeace office, joining a local Greenpeace network, or raising awareness in schools or organisations by inviting a Greenspeaker to talk about environmental issues.

Like Greenpeace, many businesses also take environmental concerns seriously and at Solent Plastics, this planet-caring company employs robust environmental policies. If you're looking for storage solutions made from recycled plastic, or a wide range of quality recycling bins, you've come to the right place.

For all our tomorrows, it is important that we take care of the planet TODAY!