Take 3 For The Sea: Protecting What Is Precious
The ocean remains a defining influence on SARAH & SEBASTIAN’s design ethos. Its movement, depth and raw beauty continue to inspire our work while reinforcing our responsibility to protect it. In 2022, we launched our philanthropic initiative, The Xanthe Project™, a long term commitment to safeguarding the marine environments that shape our designs. Through partnerships, education and direct action, the initiative supports organisations working to protect the future of our oceans. Yet the scale of the challenge continues to grow. Each year, millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean, travelling through streets, drains and waterways before reaching the sea. What disappears from view rarely disappears at all. Over time, plastic breaks down into microplastics that spread through ecosystems and threaten marine life. The SARAH & SEBASTIAN team gathered at Coogee Beach alongside our partner Take 3 For The Sea. More than 40 volunteers came together for a morning of education and collective action. At first glance, the coastline appeared pristine. But the closer we looked, the more we found. Fragments of plastic caught between rocks. Cigarette butts pressed into the sand. Foam packaging scattered through the grass along the foreshore. In just over an hour, our team removed 5,486 pieces of waste, totalling 17.5 kilograms of debris. Among them were 2,379 cigarette butts, alongside hundreds of plastic fragments and pieces of foam insulation. Unexpected finds included an air mattress, nicotine pouches and SIM cards, fragments of everyday life that had washed ashore. Beaches like Coogee are cleaned regularly by local councils, yet much of this debris remains hidden in plain sight. Many pieces were partially buried in the sand or tangled within coastal vegetation. Others had already broken down into smaller fragments, almost invisible at first glance. Plastic rarely disappears. Instead, it breaks apart, becoming smaller and more widespread over time. These particles are often mistaken for food by marine animals, causing lasting harm within marine ecosystems. Moments like this reveal how easily everyday waste finds its way to the ocean. Through The Xanthe Project™, SARAH & SEBASTIAN continues to support initiatives that protect and restore marine environments. The same ocean that inspires our work is the one we must continue to safeguard. Discover more about the Xanthe Project here.
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