Plastic pollution threatens marine life piccaya / iStock

Sky has launched its latest environmental campaign, Ocean Rescue, to educate people about marine conservation and the rising levels of plastic in our seas.

Building on its Rainforest Rescue initiative, the new campaign is asking people to make lifestyle changes to reduce the amount of waste polluting the ocean. These changes range from choosing reusable grocery bags to purchasing biodegradable products made from cardboard instead of plastic. Sky is pledging to do similar by reducing the amount of single-use plastic products used across company sites.


Single-use plastics include water bottles, plastic straws and microbeads found in face products. These small, microbeads pose a particular problem for the environment, due to their toxicity. From July 2017, the production of cosmetic goods containing microbeads will be prohibited, due to their negative environmental impact. However, the amount of plastic residue left over by these products will leave residual effects upon the marine ecosystem for years to come.

Sky Ocean Rescue will feature on Sky News from January 24 to January 25 Sky

The need for a cleaner ocean has also been called for in culinary circles. Plastic residue in fish can be absorbed into the bloodstream once eaten and with the amount of plastic pollution increasing, concerns over the safety of seafood are rising in tandem.

The launch of Sky Ocean Rescue coincides with Sky's documentary A Plastic Tide, airing at 8pm tonight on Sky Atlantic.