Eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year, according to a recent study published in Science. That’s a whole garbage truck per minute – and if no action is taken, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.

Volvo Ocean Race is campaigning to Turn the Tide on plastics in the oceans.

As the leading race around the world, we have a unique perspective on the problems posed by plastics in our oceans. The world truly is our racetrack and it’s our responsibility to make a real contribution to a cleaner future.

We will use the race’s platforms and global presence to raise awareness, develop new initiatives and work with our Host Cities to make a difference in the fight against one of humanity’s biggest shared challenges.

Turn the Tide is about contributing a solution in every Host City we visit – and spreading the message ‘Protect the Oceans’ among our fans and followers.

The campaign has three clear objectives:

• Minimise our own footprint
• Maximise our impact
• Create a positive and lasting legacy

Steps to minimise our footprint include working with stakeholders, local government and delivery partners to reduce single use plastic at Race Villages and establish bespoke action plans at every stopover, issuing clear criteria for future Host Cities and taking advantage of the one-design format to prioritise sustainability features on our boats and at the Boatyard facility.

To maximise our impact, we’ll use the race’s global presence to raise awareness among our millions of Race Village visitors and a vast digital audience around the world. We’ll also launch an education and awareness programme for children, which will be activated in every Host City – and continue long after the boats have departed.

Creating a legacy: Our aim is to leave every Host City in a better state than when we arrived. We’ll work closely with our delivery partners and local authorities to share knowledge and create local action plans.

An important activation tool is the organisation of Ocean Summits: content driven, one-to-two day events, bringing sport, institutions, business and science together.

We’ll shortly be announcing details of Oceans Summits during the 2017-18 race, as well as other initiatives around this crucial issue.

It’s time to Turn the Tide on plastics in the oceans.

#TurnTheTide