Cover photo source: National Ocean Service  

A new trend in upcycling is transforming the recycled ocean plastic materials into new and contemporary products. These upcycled products proceed to raise awareness about plastic  pollution. According to Ecoalf, every year approximately 6 million tons of garbage is thrown into the sea,  polluting, and killing marine species. Marine debris has populated our oceans. Moreover, if we continue polluting at this rate, the amount of debris in the ocean will quadruple in the next few decades! 

We have to change the way we interact with nature and find solutions that assure our planet’s lifespan. Ecoalf says that every minute there’s 16  tons of garbage pouring into the oceans, so we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to marine pollution anymore.. Some innovators are doing exactly that by taking marine debris and  turning it into useful items. Marine plastic trash ranging from broken hard plastic to old fishing gears is being converted to new things. There are a number of products made from recycled ocean plastic for instance, sunglasses, athletic shoes, jewelry, etc.    

 Photo Source: Ecoalf

Sportswear companies like Adidas patterned with conservation organization Parley for the Oceans, also known as “Adidas x Parley”. This collaboration has the two companies sweep up marine debris and utilize it to make athletic shoes. Moreover, Adidas has also eliminated the use of plastic bags and replaced it with sustainable material to  reduce ocean pollution. Another example is Ecoalf, a Spanish sportswear company created in 2009 with a clear vision of upcycling the oceans. Javier Goyeneche, the founder of Ecoalf says that the best course of action is to stop using natural resources in a careless manner, which is the most sustainable thing to do. According to Climate Action Stories, The Ecoalf Foundation has strongly established and proven its initiative in Spain, where it teams up with around 2,600 fishermen from 40 ports piling up 150 tonnes of debris per year. Their main goal is collecting the trash that is littered across the Mediterranean Sea, and turning it into high quality thread. The trash is then assembled, sorted, and given another purpose through various recycling procedures including being made into Ecoalf clothing. 

 Photo Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, 2008  

This is an image of Sidon, 48 km from Beirut, the picture shows a huge  mountain of waste, which flows into the Mediterranean when the wind blows,  which is one of the most polluted oceans in the world. The environmental benefits of upcycling are enormous. Aside from minimizing the amount of waste being sent to landfill every year, it reduces the need for production using any new or raw materials which means a tremendous reduction in water pollution, air pollution and conservation of our global resources. Plastic bottles (30 million recycled by Ecoalf as of now), fishing nets, wool and cotton, used coffee grounds have become source in the Ecoalf fashion line (Frerck, Blue Ocean). Marine pollution is becoming a global crisis that will turn our ocean to polluted water that can’t sustain life. This, in turn, will threaten the lives of several species. 

There are some simple ways we can reuse or upcycle the trash that anyone can do. For instance, a lot of times when we are finished drinking milk, we throw away the plastic container. We can instead wash out and reshape/repurpose these things into something beautiful simply by using some scissors and some creativity. Cut the container into a desired shape, throw some paint and decorate it with accessories, and voila, you have a new desk supply! So many of the old objects that would be going to landfills can actually be turned into something brand new. You’re only limited by your imagination. Take a page out of EcoAlf’s book and try turning some of your trash into treasure today!

BY VARINDDHA THAKUR