🌱 Want to be more like Virón by reducing your virgin materials? OceanWorks can help.
Featuring Little Freddie's, Mattel, The Sak, Sperry and more...
Happy Monday!
This week our focus is back on plastic, as part of Plastic Free July. We cover:
A new wave of sustainable sourcing: How OceanWorks are supplying recycled plastics.
How upcycling and material innovation are leading Virón step by step to a closed loop footwear.
In case you missed it: 🌱 Plastic Free July: 5 partners for your first steps, and EarthKind's 2 part strategy to take bottles out the bathroom.
Before we dig in, we’d love to ask you a quick question: Which part of this newsletter do you find most useful? Please click on your answer:
Thank you for participating - please only click an answer once. If you have answered in previous weeks, thank you, and please don’t answer again.
> Good News Last Week
🎯 Little Freddie launched the UK’s first fully recyclable pouch through household recycling. Using FSC certified cardboard and eco-friendly vegetable inks, the new pouches will save 350,000 pouches from landfill, the equivalent of 2.5 tonnes of plastic.
⭐️ Mattel announced the release of their new Barbie made from 90% recycled plastic that would otherwise be bound for the Ocean. Modelled after Dr. Jane Goodall ahead of World Chimpanzee Day.
⭐️ Patagonia opened the United Repair Centre in Amsterdam in collaboration with Makers Unite and Amsterdam Economic Board. The centre provides the capability to scale the repair of apparel, increases the number of skilled repair teams through the Repair Academy and provides employment opportunities for those facing difficulty entering the labour market.
⭐️ Co-Op introduced a “don’t waste me, freeze me” message on it’s own-brand milk products, with the aim to avoid 70,000 tones of milk being wasted annually.
⭐️ Microsoft signed a 10-year carbon removal off take agreement with Climeworks which will see the removal of 10,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. The collaboration is part of Microsoft’s mission to reach ‘negative’ emissions by 2030 and compensate for the historical operational emissions by 2050.
⚡️The UK B Corp Movement celebrated 800 Certified B Corps now in the UK!
⚡️Speciality Fine Food Fair announced their partnership with Creating Nature’s Corridors, with one tree to be planted for every visitor to the fair in 2022.
> Click on each link to read more.
> Quick Take
A new wave of sustainable sourcing: How OceanWorks are supplying recycled plastics.
Plastic pollution into the oceans has reached eight million metric tons a year. A figure that many companies are striving to reduce, while improving upon their own sustainable sourcing. While sustainability is the objective, the actual impact is dubious. The issue is that much of the recycled ocean-sourced plastics are hard to trace.
Brands looking to utilise ocean plastics are running into hurdles when tracking the entire product lifecycle. From under-resourced recycling centres to under-incentivised waste collectors, there are complexities barring data collection at each supply chain step. Many companies purchasing ocean plastics have been unable to report environmental impacts as a result properly. The current data landscape for ocean plastics is divided, but OceanWorks are looking to codify data collection and reporting for this industry.
What do they offer?
OceanWorks acts as a marketplace for recycled ocean plastic materials. The source of every product sold is tested by a 3rd party for purity to ensure quality. Supply chains are also monitored to ensure fair labor practices and environmental standards. Examples of products on their marketplace include everything from reusable containers to recycled textiles that brands such as Sperry use to create their own products. As well as Sperry, they’ve also worked with The Sak, Electra, West Paw, and more to facilitate a reduction in virgin materials being used within these brands (click here to read the case studies).To date, OceanWorks’s platform has helped remove over four million pounds of plastic from the ocean.
How are they doing this?
OceanWorks is revolutionising ocean plastic recycling through blockchain technology. As soon as plastics are collected from trusted sources, they are verifiable through Oracle’s Track & Trace technology. Everything from the type of materials to the exact source is visible through the online interface. The technology aims to combine low costs with high speeds in order to ensure efficient operations for buyers.
Interested? Read more about the benefits of upcycled ocean plastics.
> Brand Spotlight
How upcycling and material innovation are leading Virón step by step to a closed loop footwear.
“It’s on us to define the world we live in.” Virón’s message is clear and straight-talking. Looking to take steps towards more responsible production, Virón’s efforts to reuse post-consumer and post-production waste is at the forefront of their products.
Based in Portugal, their shoes are produced in a family-owned factory that specialises in vegetarian footwear. In fact, Virón upcycles a range of materials to create their new and innovative materials. Using PETA and Vegan certified materials, Virón’s mission is to use as few virgin materials as possible.
Their closed loop systems are based on repurposing the waste of others - here’s an overview:
Soles: All made from 70% recycled rubber (higher than their competition).
Canvas uppers, linings and insoles: 70% recycled canvas which is combined with 30% viscose for guaranteed durability.
Nylon: Recycling from Italian and Portuguese fishing nets.
Plant dyes and glues: Vegan and environmentally friendly, some are made from plants and food waste. Meeting the European Union’s REACH regulations.
Similar to other pioneering consumer goods brands, like Pangaia, Virón have a strong focus on championing innovative materials. Want inspiration? We’ve collated three examples:
Apple Skin: Replacing the traditional fossil-fuel based synthetic leathers, Virón’s 60% bio-based leather substitute upcycles waste product from the Apple juice industry in Northern Italy. Waste skin and seeds are dried and powdered to create a light, breathable and resistant material when mixed with recycled plastic (Polyurethane) which also makes it waterproof. Plant-based, vegan and sustainable.
Corn: Faux leather made from corn grown for industrial processes. This leather substitute is also made from 60% bio-based materials.
Waved PET suede: Made from post-consumer PET bottles. Virón’s 1992 boots upcycle 13 PET bottles for each pair.
Sourcing their materials within Europe and working with European manufacturers, Virón’s signature has been to upcycle military supplies into footwear. This began with their 1982 and 1992 boots made from upcycled French army tents.
They don’t stop there. What else are Virón doing to reduce their environmental impact?
Plastic free shipping: Shoes are packaged within recycled and biodegradable boxes, using plastic-free tape.
Closed loop system: Virón recycles the rubber soles of their shoes at the end of their life. Shoes can be sent back to Virón to extend the life of the rubber.
Working with GreenShoes4Alll: Virón are in the process of calculating their carbon footprint across their whole supply chain.
1% for the Planet: Virón is a certified member donating 1% of their profits to environmental projects.
With transparency at the forefront of their business, Virón’s holy trinity values Earth, Animals and People equally. Their commitment to upcycling materials and reducing their dependency on virgin materials should serve as inspiration to any brand looking to follow in their footsteps.
Support Virón via their shop:
> In case you missed it
🌱 Plastic Free July: 5 partners for your first steps, and EarthKind's 2 part strategy to take bottles out the bathroom.
Featuring EarthKind, Grubby, Karma Drinks and more...
> Follow up with…
Article: Big brands targeted for plastic reduction and refill commitments in 2022 proxy season
Article: The 5 most inspiring advertising campaigns that fight plastic pollution
Podcast: Plastics Unwrapped