Come and meet the fashion companies that are saving our oceans.
Over eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year. Making up 80% of marine debris, wasted plastic is dangerous because there is no way to extract the microfibres, and they then spread through the food chain. It’s also threatening for marine life as they become tangled in it, or digest it themselves which can lead to injury or even death.
As a result of these statistics, many fashion brands have done their bit to try save our oceans, from donating profits to marine charities to creating sustainable clothing and accessories from the recycled plastic.
Here are some brands in the fashion industry that have plans in place to reduce plastic in our oceans and make our planet a cleaner place.
Parley for the Oceans
This is one of the most recognised names that support the oceans because of its collaborations with major brands. adidas teamed up with Parley for the Oceans to create the Ultraboost shoe which features Parley ocean plastic. It’s a trainer made out of a high performance yarn, which was made from recycled ocean materials.
One of its aims for other major brands to follow is to change the way they manufacture products. They also have been known to create projects to further help with the clean-up of the oceans and to minimise waste and pollution. The campaign has also seen the sportswear brand team up with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich football clubs to create football jerseys made from Parley Ocean Plastic.
Outerknown
Outerknown was founded by professional surfer Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore in 2015 in America. Like many other surf brands, Outerknown’s aim is to save our oceans and create sustainable, recycled fashion but it stands out because of the fact that the co-founder is a one of the most iconic surfers of all time.
The brand also creates pieces other than just surf gear but dresses, accessories, and other fashionable pieces too. Outerknown uses a material called ECONYL which is regenerated nylon made from ocean and landfill waste which is a way of clearing up the oceans at the same time as creating sustainable clothing.
It also has an ECONYL collection that features clothes made with the nylon material spun from recycled fishing nets. 100% of all profits from Outerknown’s #ITSNOTOK tee shirts go to support the Ocean Conservancy charity, whose mission is to clean and protect our oceans for future generations.
Stay Wild Swim
This is a British women’s swimwear brand founded by ocean enthusiasts Natalie Glaze and Zanna van Dijk. Like Outerknown, every piece of swimwear is made using ECONYL and was created as a way to give back to the ocean. The brand currently offers one full swimming costume and one bikini, both in three different colours, with plans to expand, and make more stylish but sustainable products for all women.
Toms
Toms is a well-known fashion brand that has collaborated with Oceana, an ocean conservation organisation whose mission is to save and protect the world’s marine life. The Whale collection includes nine different styles of shoes for men, women, and children and all the proceeds from this collection go to Oceana.
Oceana was founded in 2001 and works to protect the whales, dolphins, seals, sea turtles, sharks, and fish whose habitats and food supplies are being destroyed by harmful fishing practices.
Alex Monroe
British jeweller, Alex Monroe, creates collections of nature-inspired pieces of jewellery. He has proved to build a brand that is trying to make a difference and save our planet, and this can be seen as he previously supported Friends of the Earth, an environmental organisation, by including a bee-saving kit with every piece sold from his Beehive range.
He created a new Ocean’s collection line of marine-inspired rings, bracelets, and necklaces depicting fish, shells, turtles, whales and other sea creatures in recycled gold and silver plate. A donation of £10 for every piece sold goes to Friends of the Earth’s current project to end plastic pollution and protect the oceans.
Everlane
This is an American company that prides itself on ethical production practices whilst creating sustainable clothes. It has pledged to completely eliminate new plastics from its supply chain by 2021 and instead, use recycled plastics to help combat the pollution of the ocean by plastic from fashion brands.
They have started removing all single-use plastic from its offices and stores meaning that it’s not just the way in which they are making clothes that is helping to stop plastic from polluting our oceans. It’s collection of coats, jackets, and jumpers, ReNew sees sustainable clothing made from over three million recycled plastic bottles.
Sloppy Tunas
The Spanish company, Sloppy Tunas, believes that everyone can do their bit to save the planet. They create board shorts out of recycled ocean plastics which is how it contributes to preserving natural resources and reducing the waste in the planet’s water.
The company itself also participates in ocean clean-ups with the aid of fishermen. The plastic they recycle from the ocean not only means less pollution but also saving marine life from coming into contact with it.
Their ‘Just Recycle’ collection includes plastic includes straws as they break down into small pieces of plastic but never biodegrade fully (500 million plastic straws are used a day in the US!) and six-pack rings which are made from low-density polyethene causing them to float, which are not just polluting our oceans, but directly killing sea life.