Talking Trash Tour

Environmentalists sail from Brisbane to Sydney to TALK TRASH with the community.

Photo and video coverage by Ocean Conversation

Australian environmentalist, Tim Silverwood (Take 3) and Canadian adventurer Adrian Midwood (Ocean Ambassadors) sailed from Sydney to Brisbane this January to raise awareness on the impact of plastic pollution on our oceans and wildlife.

The ʻTalking Trashʼ tour visited 15 locations on the East Coast from the 7th January to 3rd February where the passionate environmentalists inspired communities to take local action to address plastic pollution and champion solutions to our growing waste crisis in Australia.

“85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast, our rich culture revolves around our love and value for the ocean and our waterways. Yet, in every square kilometer of Australiaʼs fringing ocean is over 4000 pieces of plastic rubbish. Tim Silverwood from Take 3 said. Most of this rubbish comes from land and a lot of it is from single use items that were used once before becoming trash”

“The Talking Trash tour is about visiting coastal communities and igniting conversation about waste and pollution and illustrating how we can all make a positive difference. We want people to come to our events, learn more about the problem, be inspired by our stories, discover exciting solutions and walk away feeling like they can contribute in their own way to making it ʻbetterʼ.

The events were centred around engaging the community in a number of initiatives including:

Beach Clean Ups
Film Nights
Open discussions
Demonstrations of Innovative Technology that converts plastic into oil
Tours on board the S.V. Moana, a fully sustainable 38ft catamaran
Tips, Hints and products to help reduce waste at home or in the office
Solutions for local businesses and government

Adrian Midwood, Ocean Ambassadors says “I am so excited to be here in Australia visiting communities in the East Coast with my vessel S.V. Moana. It is evident that plastic pollution is a big problem globally, so itʼs great to be here advocating real solutions to the community alongside Tim Silverwood.”

“I will be demonstrating the Innovative Japanese Blest technology that converts waste plastics into oil, as well as showcasing the Leisure Activist Clothing line, a cause based brand that is made from waste
materials.”

DETAILS OF THE TOUR:

What: A 28-day sailing adventure from Brisbane to Sydney raising awareness of the impacts ofmarine debris and empowering communities to take local action.

Why: Marine debris is a significant and growing threat to our oceans, waterways, beaches and wildlife. Itʼs imperative we encourage people in Australia and the world to actively remove debris and
take positive action to prevent further pollution.

How: Our team will sail from Brisbane to Sydney on board the S.V. Moana, a 38ft sustainable catamaran with a mission to educate communities and inspire them to take local action on marine
debris. Outreach activities will include: educational events, film screenings, discussions, beach clean ups, marine debris audits, government briefings and demonstrations of an array of innovative
solutions to this escalating problem. A land-based crew will support the vessel and team as it sails down the East Coast.

Who: ʻTalking Trashʼ is a collaborative project between Tim Silverwood from Australian based not-forprofit Take 3 (www.take3.org.au) and Canadian born Adrian Midwood from Ocean Ambassadors
(www.theoceanambassadors.com). The project will highlight and support other organisations offering solutions to this problem including: Tangaroa Blue, Responsible Runners, Positive Change for Marine
Life, Australian Seabird Rescue and Surfrider Foundation Australia. All groups are members of the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) that aims to collect data on marine debris and help reduce it
at its source.