Thirsty for products that look good and do good? Choose Ocean Bottle
Plastic, the once miracle material, is now threatening our planet with a truckload being dumped into our oceans every minute. That’s 22 million kgs of plastic every single day—so how can we be a part of the solution?
The problem with plastic
The qualities that have made plastic so ingrained in our lives—its durability and long-lasting design—also increase the threat posed to the environment and marine life. Every toothbrush that has been made since their invention in the 1930s still exists highlights the scale of this issue. Much of it ends up in our oceans, too – at least eight million tons of plastic every year – threatening marine life, coastal tourism and our health.
Here’s how you can be part of the solution
Up to 80% of the world’s ocean plastic comes from a lack of waste management systems in coastal communities around the world. This is where Ocean Bottle comes in. For each dishwasher-safe, easy-clean reusable water bottle purchase, Ocean Bottle funds the collection of equivalent to 1,000 plastic bottles. Ocean Bottle also partners with Plastic Bank to support more than 4,300 plastic collectors in coastal communities where plastic pollution is at its worst, to collect, sort and recycle much of the world’s waste.
How the Ocean Bottle system works
1. You buy an Ocean Bottle
2. Funds go to places where plastic pollution is worst, together with their partner Plastic Bank
3. Locals can take plastic waste to different collection points in cities and coastal communities
4. They can then exchange it for money or credit via blockchain technology to spend on tuition, products, health care and access to microfinance
Circular by design
Operating in Haiti, Brazil, Philippines and Indonesia, Ocean Bottle’s approach is circular: Ocean bound plastic is collected and recycled into new products. They also have smart chip activated NFC technology, where you can fund more collection in the future when you refill and scan your bottle at retailers, gyms and on campus. What’s not to love?
Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Before meeting Nick, I [Will] completed an undergraduate degree in engineering and spent a year out at sea in the Indian Ocean. I saw first-hand the devastating state of pollution in our ocean and instantly wanted to do something about it. Nick comes from a background working in venture capital, having worked on the investments team at Blenheim Chalcot, the UK’s largest venture builder, he is driven to redefine the impact business model.