Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Repurposing Oceanic Debris to New Products


With an annual estimate of  "14 billion pounds of trash" finding its way to the ocean each year, that's a lot of UNnatural resources and pollution.

But sometimes you need to think outside the box, especially if you are an innovator.  In doing so, you might land on a solution or two.

B the Change's December 14th, 2016 article entitled "5 Products Made From Recycled Ocean Waste" by Matt Clough focuses on 5 companies and their products that take innovation by storm by mining the ocean for these UNnatural resources--then turning that plastic debris into something greater than it was before.

Clough's article focuses on these 5 products pictured above & their manufacturing companies.

Ahi Performance Cruiser Skateboard  


From Bureo
This Los Angeles company takes discarded fishing nets and transitions them into skateboards.  Approximately 30 square feet of recycled nets are washed, melted into small pellets, then formed into these $195 skateboards.

Kayu Sunglasses
From Karün
Now a partner with Bureo, but even before that nature always served as inspiration for Karün's sunglasses. Their Ocean collection is made from Bureo-sourced fishing nets in a process similar to how Bureo makes their skateboards. Additionally, part of their profits from their $139 sunglasses go for education programs in plastic pollution-affected fishing communities.

River Bank Backpack
From Fishpond
This outdoor lifestyle/travel adventure company of Colorado lines their River Bank Backpack with a material called "Cyclepond." Again, recycled commercial fishing net is at play.  Additionally, it's a type of material that uses less natural resources in its production that water-consuming fabrics like cotton. At $149.95, you can have a sturdy backpack lined with a fabric that helps cut down on greenhouse gasses.

Graphic Tee Collection
From United By Blue
This company that makes a variety of fashionwear for both men and women doesn't make their nature-themed T-shirts from oceanic plastic debris, yet they are heavily committed to the environment.  With each purchase of their $36 T-shirts (and other products), United By Blue works to eliminate a pound of trash from the ocean.  They pride themselves in hosting over 170 cleanups and removing over 360,000 pounds of trash.

Ocean Plastic 2-in-1 Dish & Hand Soap
From Method
This is a company you may have heard about as their products are in many local grocery/department stores. The plastic for their $3.99 bottles is collected from Hawaiian beaches. The soap itself is biodegradable to further spread the message of environmental sustainability.



Images above compiled from http://www.bthechange.com/stories/products/innovative/5-products-made-recycled-ocean-waste/ into a collage created at PicMonkey.

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