PRODUCTS MADE FROM RECYCLED OCEAN WASTE

Manufacturing products using recycled ocean waste is starting a revolution in the plastics industry. From bottles to major clothing lines, many brands are taking part in the movement to overcome the marine waste issue and make our industry more sustainable. Adidas’ Parley Range The global sporting brand, Adidas, recently teamed up with Parley Ocean Plastic to turn plastic waste into a material of their sportswear collection. The collected marine plastic is sent to Parley’s supply chain partners to shred down and turn it into polyester yarn. This is then reworked to make their signature shoe range and aims to tackle marine littering. The Parley range is estimated to save 40 tons of plastic a year and aside from this range, the company’s Spring and Summer clothing lines, as of last year contained 41% of recycled plastic material. A step in the right direction to make both the plastic and clothing industry more sustainable. Adidas has also said that they aim to use 100% recycled polyester across all their products by 2024. 4Ocean’s Reusable Water Bottles 4Ocean is a non-profit charity whose funding goes directly to cleaning up plastic waste in the ocean. The profits they receive from their products, like their reusable water bottles actively help tackle marine litter while using 1lb of plastic waste per water bottle in the manufacturing process. As of 2017, the charity has successfully removed 4.7 tonnes of marine plastic waste and used a large percentage of this to manufacture, not only, their famous reusable water bottles but also bracelets, reusable bags and hot drink tumblers. The founder’s mission was to eliminate the production of single-use plastics and instead help to create ocean-friendly alternatives. Method’s Biodegradable Hand Soap Hand soap is an everyday necessity; Method’s innovative soap dispenser is the first of its kind to be biodegradable. The product contains natural, biodegradable ingredients like aloe and paraben-free components to create sustainable contents as well as packaging. The hand soap dispenser is widely available from a range of well-known retailers like Amazon and Ocado to best promote the product and make it widely available for consumers to purchase. Bureo Specialising in making everything from sunglasses to skateboards, the company uses discarded fishing nets found in the ocean to produce products. Not only does this brand help to majorly reduce marine plastic waste but also makes durable and “indestructible” products, quoted by its customers. ‘The Untangled Collection’ is sourced by fishing nets collected from South America; these are professionally cleaned and then shredded into pellets that can be manufactured into new products. The pellets are formed into quality products like skateboards, sunglasses and Jenga sets which are created to be ‘built for a lifetime of use’, instead of the single-use mentality that we commonly see for plastics. All their products are made from 100% recycled fishing nets alone. Captain Blakenship’s Cosmetic Range Created through the founder’s love for the ocean, this consists of a range of beauty products like shampoos, conditioners and sea mineral soaps. The packaging of these products is made entirely from recovered ocean plastic; each product is also made from natural ingredients from the sea to give a natural touch. The brand’s mission is to preserve the quality of the ocean, so 1% of annual sales contribute to non-profit organisations that do just this. These profits have helped the Hudson River Water Alliance and Green Wave. The Marine Debris Bakelite Project This project transforms ocean plastics into bespoke tableware. The products resemble the ‘Bakelite’ marbled range of tableware, which established in the 1900s. However, this new range is far more sustainable. The products are made by 100% recycled ocean plastic from Australia and have been designed by many famous artists, like Jonathan Zowada. The range consists of 11 different items; the bento box, plates, bowls, jugs and more. The Tropics’ Swimwear Line The aim of this Miami-based brand is for consumers to enjoy the ocean, rather than be a factor in destroying it. They do this by manufacturing swim towels and clothing made entirely from ocean plastics. The company transform waste plastics like discarded wetsuits into a sustainable polymer fibre. As well as reusing these waste materials, once a month the Tropics host a range of beach clean-ups to spread awareness across the U.S. Similarly to many of the other brands that we’ve mentioned, The Tropics is a proud ‘1% For The Planet’ member, meaning they give back at least 1% of their profits to contribute to the ocean pollution emergency. Sustainable Polymer Fibre Repreve helps many other brands and organisations by developing and supplying the world’s leading polymer fibre. By collecting recycled plastic bottles and other materials, they use these to create athletic and fashion apparel. As of 2020, Unifi, Repreve’s manufacturer, has recycled over 14 billion plastic bottles. To find out about some of the other brands using Repreve fibres, head to their website. Here at Rayda, we consider creating a sustainable future for plastics to be extremely important, which is why we use recycled materials in our plastic extrusion. If you want to find out more about the sustainable plastics we create and how you can use them long-term in your business, contact our team of experts.

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