This Friday, June 8th, everyone on this amazing blue planet is invited to take pause and celebrate the waters that give us life—our world’s oceans. Why? Because on every year on June 8th –unofficially since 1992 and officially since 2008—we recognize World Oceans Day.

This year’s World Oceans Day conservation theme focuses on the enormous problem of plastic pollution in our precious waters. We have all undoubtedly come across the upsetting images circulating on social media of once pristine beaches littered with mounds of plastic, or of sea creatures who have unwittingly mistaken plastic trash for food. These images are a stark reminder of the growing plastic problem plaguing marine life across the globe. And if we don’t band together and act soon, the impact of plastic pollution to our oceans may be sadly irreversible.

The Mountain’s Commitment to Clean Water

Here at  The Mountain, we understand and respect the important role that clean water plays in our intricate global ecosystem. We also strongly believe that no person or business is too small to make a difference. This is why we worked hard to develop a water treatment system that actually oxidizes and cleanses the production wastewater created by manufacturing Mountain t-shirts. Since 2011 we have recycled over 5,000,000 gallons of water with our industry-leading Dye Oxidation Water Purification System.

Pictured here: t-shirt production wastewater before (left) and after (right) its treatment through our purification system.

By removing the “waste” from our production wastewater, we not only create a sustainable clean water supply for our business, but also create a byproduct that is full of oxygen and positively integrates with the microorganisms present in our local water treatment plant. Oh and did we mention that in 2015 we implemented an automated screen washing system that is capable of recycling 50% of its process water? Our local rivers and streams all lead to the ocean in one way or another. We take our environmental responsibility seriously and hope that our actions create a ripple effect throughout the Mountain Tribe.

This commitment to green manufacturing sets us apart in our industry and we are proud to lead the pack when it comes to  eco-friendly t-shirt manufacturing.

Protect Partner Highlight: Whale and Dolphin Conservation

It is also no coincidence that we chose this week to feature the efforts of Whale and Dolphin Conservation through our  Protect Collection Partner Spotlight series. Whales are the largest marine mammal, which makes them key players in ensuring the overall health of our oceans and the marine life that live amongst them. However, threats like oil and gas exploration, bycatch (entanglement in commercial fishing gear), pollution, commercial whaling, and climate change have resulted in reduced whale populations all over the world. In fact, six out of thirteen great whale species are currently considered endangered.

This global threat to great whales is why we created our  “Save the Whales” t-shirt design (pictured above) as one of ten endangered species designs available in The Protect Collection. A portion of every sale of “Save the Whales” merchandise goes directly to Whale and Dolphin Conservation to support them in their mission to inspire global action to protect whales and dolphins.

What You Can Do

If you do anything on World Oceans Day, take a moment to consider what our oceans—and all of the beautiful creatures that dwell in them—mean to our environment. Learn about how our daily actions involving littering, plastic consumption, and pollution affect the oceans and have a full-circle effect on our own lives. And finally, you can make a commitment (even a small one!) to change your own ways and encourage others to do the same.