Seas & Straws

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Seas & Straws

Plastic-Free & Zero Waste Coach | Protect your home and loved ones from plastic's harmful chemicals. As a coach, I help individuals make their home zero waste.

As a hotel or business owner, you may recognize the importance of reducing plastic in your operations but lack the time, resources, or expertise to to go down the rabbit hole of researching eco-friendly materials, finding the right products, negotiating with suppliers, requesting and testing samples, and comparing prices. Meanwhile, as an individual you might have heard about the toxic chemicals and carcinogens in plastic and want to embrace healthier, eco-conscious living but don't know where to start. Whether you're a business seeking sustainable solutions or an individual seeking a plastic-free lifestyle, I'm here to help. As an accredited plastic-free consultant, I specialize in guiding hotels and businesses towards sustainable practices, making it easy and cost-effective to eliminate single-use plastics. Additionally, Seas & Straws is an info blog, a comprehensive platform dedicated to educating people about the environmental and health implications of plastic pollution and offering natural, degradable alternatives. Together, we can create a more sustainable and plastic-free world.

06/10/2026

Another Cleanup in the Mangroves of Solarte

Earlier this year, we discovered two large illegal dumpsites hidden in the mangroves off Solarte island / Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama. We cleared one of them, but due to the sheer size and volume of waste, we could only partially clear the second site.
Two weeks ago, we returned to assess the site and were shocked by how much additional waste had accumulated in the meantime.

Together with the divers from , we organized another cleanup. Five boats and around 25 volunteers from the local community joined us to tackle the dumpsite.

The waste included large quantities of plastic bottles, cans, styrofoam takeout containers and other household waste, as well as large Styrofoam panels containing metal rods, apparently from a construction site. One of the additional sites consisted almost entirely of alcohol bottles. Many of the bottles had been there for years, with the plastic bags completely disintegrated and numerous bottles already broken.

In total, we estimate that around 150 bags of waste were removed from the mangroves during the cleanup.

Once again, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who joined us, provided boats, equipment or other support! 💪
Illegal dumping in the mangroves remains widespread, and cleanups like this are only possible when the community comes together.

ong

17/09/2026

We found ourselves work again. 😉
This huge dumpsite in Solarte needs to be cleaned up...and we need all the help we can get.
Please let us know if you are able to support this endeavor, be it with your time, donations, or your own two hands. Thank you.

24/08/2026

I never would have thought I'd see something like that - and not even 2 meters away from me.

30/06/2026

Team meeting at the Kiel Week.

Every year, One Earth – One Ocean is part of Kiel Week, the world's largest sailing event. At our booth on the Schlaumachwiese and aboard our SeeKuh, anchored just offshore, we invite visitors of all ages to discover the fascinating world beneath the water's surface.

Children (and plenty of curious adults!) collected water samples, examined them under the microscope, and learned about marine life. They also had the chance to melt recycled plastic and transform it into unique keychains—showing firsthand how waste can become a valuable resource.

A personal highlight was Saturday's spectacular Windjammer Parade. Seeing so many magnificent ships sailing together was truly unforgettable.

But what made this weekend most special for me was something else: seeing my colleagues (again).

Working in Panama means I spend most of the year thousands of kilometers away from the rest of the oeoo family. Reuniting with everyone reminded me how fortunate I am to be part of such a passionate, dedicated, and inspiring team.

I feel incredibly grateful to work with this dedicated team and in this amazing organization. Thank you to everyone at One Earth – One Ocean for your friendship, your commitment, and for making this organization such a special place to be. 💙🌍

25/06/2026

On Monday, a dedicated group of Solarte residents returned to one of the illegal dumpsites that had been cleaned during our large community cleanup in May.

At the time, there was one section of the site that we simply couldn't reach before running out of time. Inspired by the success of the community cleanup and determined to finish the job, local residents took it upon themselves to return and remove the remaining waste.
With a team of six volunteers and three boats, they collected and removed 18 additional bags of trash from the mangroves. Thanks to their efforts, the entire mangrove area is now finally free of waste.

A huge thank you to Timo, Steve, Peter, Joe, Jeff, and Lynn for their hard work, commitment, and dedication. Your efforts have made a real difference for Solarte's mangroves.

21/05/2026

Yesterday, we took on the cleanup of the two large illegal dumpsites we found hidden deep in the mangroves off Solarte. The scale of trash we removed was unbelievable - but so was the phenomenal support of the community. 💪

With the help of 24 volunteers and 5 boats, we removed an estimated 450-500 bags of waste from the mangroves, equal to roughly 8-10 tons of trash.

We opened some of them and found a large amount of construction waste, empty paint buckets, cardboard, as well as countless Styrofoam takeout containers and soda bottles. This was no ordinary household waste. We cannot say for sure, but at this point we believe that it could come from a larger construction site on the island (maybe a hotel or commercial project) that feed their workers a daily lunch and then disposes of the trash.
The findings raise serious questions and point towards repeated, organized dumpings.

We are determined to continue investigating to find out who is responsible for polluting our precious mangroves. Mangroves are among the most important ecosystems on our planet. They protect coastlines, store carbon, improve water quality, and provide shelter for marine life.

A huge thank you to Francesco and Alex from Bicas Pirates Dive Center, who played a key role in organizing this cleanup and whose energy, commitment, and coordination made this entire operation possible.

Special thanks also to

oceantribe

And of course, to everyone who supported us with boats, hard work, donations, and their time - this would not have been without you. 💚🌊🌏

24/04/2026

This week, my team and I found 2 large illegal dumpsites, well hidden in the mangroves off Solarte/Bocas del Toro. Somebody took a lot of effort to hide their deeds from view. Still, we found them, pinned them and are now planning our cleanup missions. We got our work cut out for us. 💪
Who wants to help clean the beautiful mangroves? 🙋‍♂️🌿

Also, if you know of any other illegal dumping site, please let us know. We suspect that almost every island community has one.

15/04/2026

No matter how beautiful the forest is, where there are people, there is trash. 😐

06/04/2026

Another successful cleanup operation!

On Sunday March22nd, we returned to one of the most well-known illegal dumping sites in Bocas. The clearly visible “No tirar basura” sign does not seem to deter people and waste continues to accumulate here, making repeated cleanups necessary throughout the year.

What’s even more concerning is that this is not an isolated case—there are several similar dumping spots in the immediate vicinity, highlighting a broader issue that goes beyond a single location. Addressing it will require not only cleanups, but long-term solutions and greater community awareness.

01/04/2026

Before & After

Adresse

Isla Colon, Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Kiel
507

Website

http://www.seasandstraws.com/

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