Travelers Against Plastic (TAP)

10/07/2026

The 10th Copernicus Ocean State Report was released yesterday, and the message is clear: our ocean is changing rapidly, and not for the better.

The report brings together more than 4 decades of data from satellites, buoys and ocean sensors, with contributions from 636 authors, 214 publications and 258 organizations across 37 countries.

Some of the key takeaways:

🌡️ The ocean is getting hotter
In 2024, the Mediterranean and Black seas had record-breaking periods of unusually warm water. Some lasted more than 30 days.

🌊 Sea levels can change dramatically during storms
A powerful storm caused water levels in part of the Baltic Sea to drop by 153 cm in just one event.

🏝️ Island communities are facing several changes at once
Rising seas, warmer oceans and stronger tropical storms are creating growing challenges for many island nations.

🧊 The Arctic is changing the ocean around it
The Barents Sea became much less salty between 2016 and 2022 as more freshwater entered the region and Arctic ice changed.

🦠 Even tiny ocean life is changing
About 5% of the global ocean has seen lasting changes in when phytoplankton, the tiny organisms at the base of the marine food web, appear each year.

Read the full report or summary here
https://marine.copernicus.eu/access-data/ocean-state-report/ocean-state-report-10👇

10/07/2026

DID YOU KNOW? Through our unique Conservation Impact Pricing, every trip clearly shows how much of your trip cost directly supports sea turtle conservation and coastal communities.

Check out our two Galápagos trips next spring and come join us for an unforgettable adventure 👇

Galapagos Photo Tour: https://www.seeturtles.org/galapagos-photo

Galapagos Turtles and Tortoises: https://www.seeturtles.org/galapagos

10/07/2026

A recent report from Plastic Pollution Coalition exposes how the plastic industry provides schools with lesson plans, programs, and educational materials that present plastic as safe and essential, promote recycling as the solution, and leave out the serious environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution.

Now, a new campaign by Action Network calls on school boards and superintendents to keep materials funded by or connected to the chemical, fossil fuel, and plastic industries out of public schools.

Sign the petition and join the campaign 👇
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/expel_plastic/

Plastic Pollution Coalition

10/07/2026

We're all about reducing and upcycling plastic, but we're not sure we'd eat a plastic cookie. Would you? 🍪

Scientists broke down PET plastic into simple molecules, then used bioengineered yeast to turn them into edible proteins and vanilla flavoring. "The idea is similar to other chemical processes already used to make food, like how vanilla in ice cream often comes from fossil fuels."

The finished cookie doesn't contain plastic, and hasn't yet been eaten by humans — it's waiting approval. But cool science. Would you try it?

Read the article: https://local12.com/news/nation-world/turning-trash-into-takeout-scientists-turn-plastic-into-edible-cookies-microbite-3d-printed-food-cycle-southern-illinois-university-carbondale-lahiru-jayakody-microbiology-nasa-mars-pet-plastics-recycled-material-recyclables

Read more:
https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2026/august/this-cookie-started-its-life-as-a-plastic-bottle.html

10/06/2026

Research Alert ‼

In a 2026 study, researchers studied 8 four-year-old juvenile and 27 ten-week-old post-hatchling hawksbills and observed how they responded to different types of single-use plastic.

Older turtles were more likely to bite or touch light-colored and softer plastics, including plastic bags, while they showed little interest in blue bottle labels.

The younger post-hatchlings showed no significant preference, suggesting they may ingest plastic more randomly at this stage.

The findings show that plastic can be appealing to sea turtles at different stages of life, highlighting the need to reduce high-risk plastic waste in the ocean.

Read the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-39765-0

10/05/2026

Millions of people will attend the Games, which means a whole lot of food, drinks, and, potentially, single-use plastic.

The Olympics don’t have to be another massive event creating massive amounts of waste. They could show what a different approach looks like.

Join us in asking the 2028 Olympic Committee to:

♻️ Ditch single-use plastics
🥤 Use reusable food and drinkware
💧 Add plenty of water refill stations
🌎 Make it easy for people to bring and reuse their own containers

Environment Oregon's campaign: https://environmentamerica.org/oregon/take-action/tell-the-2028-olympic-committee-cut-out-single-use-plastics/

photo: Neil Ever Osborne

10/02/2026

In Guerrero, Mexico, four local conservation groups are doing the work of protecting sea turtles and cleaning up their beaches. Now they’re getting some new tools to make recycling that waste easier.

SEE Turtles has awarded $20,000 to support the project, including plastic shredders, community cleanups, and education.

We’ll have more on the project and the people behind it in an upcoming blog post.

Grupo Tortuguero de Guerrero

10/01/2026

It’s October 1, which means we’re officially getting ready for Halloween here in the U.S. But the scariest thing to us isn’t a witch or a ghost (unless it’s a ghost net 👻🎣).

Any guesses? It’s plastic.

Here are a few easy swaps to keep in mind for a more sustainable Halloween:

🎃 Use a reusable trick-or-treat bag
👻 Reuse or DIY your decorations
🧙 Make costumes from clothes you already have or shop secondhand
🍬 Look for candy with less packaging and avoid those made with palm oil (unless sustainably-sourced)
🥤 Use reusable cups and dishes for Halloween parties

Any ideas or easy things that you do? Share them with us!

09/30/2026

Sea turtles are some of the ocean’s most unique and important animals. Did you know there are seven species of sea turtles, found across the world’s oceans, with nesting beaches in more than 100 countries?

Learn all about sea turtles here: https://www.seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-info

09/30/2026

Well, this isn't great news: Plastic is melting onto corals.

"Scientists have found a new form of pollution, one where plastic and pieces of coral become irreversibly intertwined."

Read more:

Scientists have found a new form of pollution, one where plastic and pieces of coral become irreversibly intertwined.