What a great way to start or end your day at the beach, with your cute eco-friendly swimsuit, than to take a few minutes to pick up trash left on the sand. If we all spent even 5 minutes cleaning every time we enjoy our beaches, the collective impact would be immeasurable. This is precisely the mission that Carolina Sevilla has given herself through her association 5 Minute Beach Cleanup .
The challenge of Carolina Sevilla
The global plastic pollution crisis is universal. Never in history has there been a greater environmental problem with evidence so obvious that everyone can see it. While there are many positive initiatives underway, the damage of the past 60 years since mass manufacturing of plastic began is so great that we are only at the beginning of our chances of limiting the long-term damage to our planet and humanity.
In a past life, Carolina was a diplomat in New York before realizing her destiny lay in her home in Costa Rica, helping clean up the ocean and its surroundings one piece of plastic at a time. Today, Carolina lives the simplest life in a small cabin on the beach in Costa Rica. A hut which itself says is "a gift of nature" as it was built from a large tree that fell on the beach during a storm.
After being discouraged by how little she could achieve on her own, she set up " 5-minute beach clean up " as a hashtag and profile on Instagram in an attempt to stimulate interest in a wider audience for environmental issues.
The solution to clean our beaches
Carolina created the @5minutebeachcleanup Instagram profile as a simple challenge for everyone everywhere, summed up in this question: "Would you be willing to sacrifice 5 minutes of your beach time to pick up trash?"
On her News Feed, Carolina invites her growing number of followers to tag their own cleaning photos. To date, the account has garnered over 65,000 followers, inspired thousands to perform their own 5-Minute Cleanses, and brought Caroline global media attention.
Carolina is now working with Bionic Yarn BIONIC®, a materials engineering company that provides consumer and industrial markets with fully traceable, high-quality textiles made from recycled coastal and marine plastic. A textile used in particular to make alluring ethical swimsuits.
Carolina thinks it's the younger generation who can have the biggest impact because they have a different mentality. "I think happiness is that feeling we all have when you are aware of something and also want to share it. It's what we call 'Pura Vida' in Costa Rica (pure life)." , she says.
What impact for 5 minutes of cleaning?
Although 5 minutes may not seem like a lot to clean all the dirt from the beaches, every little detail counts. Which is, of course, the essential point of the association 5-minute beach clean up. When more people get involved, those same 5 minutes become hours, days and even weeks. Imagine how much dirt can be removed from beaches in that time if we share responsibility locally.
It can also be a great opportunity to teach children, family members, friends, colleagues, etc. the importance of oceans, beaches, marine life and their connection to us. Also, don't forget to opt for a durable swimsuit for your beach outings!
