High concentrations of plastic bags, bottles, fishing nets and other debris have created unbelievably massive floating garbage patches on the ocean’s surface. In an effort to clean the ocean, several companies have given these abandoned materials a second life, converting them into usable resources to make sneakers, garments and other products. Below are a few rock-star brands that are upcycling our oceans.
Seattle based company Girlfriend Collective promotes body-positive vibes and offers us super soft activewear that cleans up our ocean. The company has taken on ethical fashion as its primary focus since its establishment in 2015. Girlfriend Collective creates clothing that saves gallons of water, recycles different types of PET plastics and most recently, released its LITE collection, which features thin leggings and bras made from discarded fishing equipment. What’s not to love?
( Upper made from recycled ocean plastics and sole made from collected algae fiber)
In 2015 Ecoalf embarked on a journey with fishermen associations to collect debris from our ocean floors in order to create a recycled filament that could be used to make the companies sneakers, garments and accessories. Due to the inconsistent quality of ocean debris, the company has invested significantly in finding better ways to process this material in order to avoid using yet another precious resource from our planet. A+ for innovation, commitment and follow-through.
