It’s not just our playground, it’s our life-support system. To celebrate World Oceans Day, which this year has taken as its theme “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean”, we’ve highlighted a few of the activists and brands that are developing healthier ways of interacting with nature and encouraging us to reconsider our relationship with the ocean.
Surfdome Live
If you’ve been following our Insta recently (if you haven’t, where have you been?) we’ve called in on our friends and partners from around the scene for a live chat broadcast over on our Instagram channel every Wednesday. Recent lives include Martin Dorey, CEO of The 2 Minute Foundation and Natalie Fee author of How to Save the World for Free.
#2minutebeachclean
It’s impossible to talk about marine plastic and ocean waste without mentioning our epic partners #2MBC.
2MinuteBeachClean doesn’t ask you to clean the whole beach, it doesn’t make you feel guilty for not being able to make every organised beach clean or for that matter solve the entire crisis.
It simply says “do what you can’ 2 minutes on every trip to the beach or in fact anywhere, just pick up a few pieces.
Find out more here and get down to your local beach clean.
Plastic Cutback: a Surfdome initiative supported by Patagonia
The clothing industry has a polybag problem. We’ve been working alongside Patagonia towards a solution, and while it’s not a perfect one by any means, it’s a start.
We’ve been working alongside Patagonia towards a solution, and while it’s not a perfect one by any means, it’s a start. When you buy a Patagonia product on Surfdome from now until June, 16th you’ll be taking part in a trial initiative called Plastic Cutback. The product you receive won’t be wrapped in a clear plastic bag, which in turn won’t end up leaking into the environment, as so many of these bags do.
We want to take the problem of plastic packaging out of your hands. We’ll do that bit for you: remove the polybag for the last and least intensive leg of its journey. It’s easier for us, as we can recycle in bulk via a trusted third party.
Outerknown x TOMS
Partnering up with Outerknown, Kelly Slater’s sustainable clothing brand TOMS has created the Lagoon x Outerknown Flip Flop. Constructed from 100% ECONYL and are 100% vegan. Shop the collection here.
TOMS | Repreve
TOMS have also conquered the iconic shoe shape but created with recycled plastic bottles, and a super comfy insole created with plant-derived and recycled materials.
Patagonia Yulex | Unnatural performance from a natural source
By far the most environmentally damaging thing about wetsuits is the neoprene itself (regardless of where that neoprene comes from). So Patagonia stopped using it altogether. All their wetsuits are made using Yulex natural rubber derived from Forest Stewardship Council certified sources. Explore the collection here.
Volcom econyl
Bikinis made using nylon recovered from ghost fishing nets won’t solve the marine plastic crisis, at least not directly. They won’t make a dent in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which takes up the area three times the size of France and consists predominantly of discarded fishing gear. But they may make you think twice about industrial fishing, and about where you get your fish from.
Salty Crew
Which brings us to Salty Crew, who catch their own. Pure salty goodness, defined by a love for the sea and a lust for big fish and bigger barrels.
Actions speak louder than words | Get involved
Plastic pollution
Go do a #2MinuteBeachClean or #2MinuteLitterPick and support the #2MBC org.
Climate change
The oceans have absorbed 93% of the heat from climate change.
Make your choices count
Support brands and businesses in making ocean-friendly choices.
Zero Plastic Pollution Strategy
IFG has a high profile and exemplary track record in reducing plastic from the business.
- Plastic Free Outbound Packaging – Our outbound packaging reached 99.81% plastic-free.
- Recycled Content Outbound Packaging – One of the criticisms of reverting from plastic to natural fibre packaging is that it increases deforestation. That is resolved by using recycled content natural fibre packaging – 94.44% of our packaging is made up of recycled natural fibre.
- We are actively working with the brands that we stock to reduce the plastic they send us.
