EARTHWISE: MEET THE PARLEY FOR THE OCEANS FOUNDER

What do the Parley Blueprint Module machines do?

It’s a 3D-printing machine transforming problems into solutions by turning plastic debris into useful objects. It represents the idea that creativity and collaboration can end marine plastic pollution and create a better future, a world where we protect the oceans and make Earth liveable for humans.

How does plastic get into the ocean?

When we use plastic items and throw them away, they just go somewhere else on this interconnected planet. Over 10 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans every year! The oceans are always downhill and downstream, and plastic never biodegrades; it lasts forever.

How can you turn plastic from the ocean into furniture?

Through eco-innovation, collaboration, and upcycling, intercepted marine plastic debris is sorted, cleaned, and processed on site to create 3D-printed Parley Ocean Plastic® furniture, objects and building structures which then can support local communities and schools.

What’s the process for turning ocean plastic into Clean Waves sunglasses?

Clean Waves sunglasses are made from a combination of fishing nets and ropes. First, we intercept the plastic on the beaches and underwater, often dragging fishing nets or cleaning up full strips of sand. The plastic is then sorted into different types, washed and melted down to create sunglasses.

Where is the plastic waste sourced?

We have a strong focus on remote islands and coastal communities, as they are at the front line of the battle in the destruction of the oceans. At Clean Waves, we are currently working with the communities in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, but technically we are operating in all seven oceans.

How would you describe the aesthetic and feel of the Clean Waves eyewear collection?

It took us a long time to get a sleek, luxurious and premium feel when working with recycled nylon, but we didn’t want to [launch] with a compromise – if we’re going out with a product, it had to be amazing! We have since mastered the process of turning fishing nets into eyewear, and the product is at a standard of quality that really excites me.

Should we be banning new plastics from being manufactured? 

Yes! We should be banning virgin plastics, fossil-fuel burning and commercial fishing, and if we did, industries would adjust overnight. We saw that with COVID-19 – within a year, companies found new ways to make money. We need to apply the same mindset.

Is there a memory or a place where the plastic pollution problem really struck home for you?

The first time I arrived in the Indian Ocean, after starting Parley, I visited these totally remote, uninhabited islands in the south of the Maldives. From a distance on the boat, the islands looked perfect, like a postcard. When I got a little closer, I suddenly realised there was a belt of plastic around these places and deep in the sand. There was everything from shoes to refrigerators!

What advice would you give to readers keen to reduce their plastic consumption? 

Avoid plastic where possible – cut it down and opt for alternatives and recycled materials. You don’t have to be 100% pure or perfect… just try your best, as everybody has a role to play. It’s about respecting resources, and that can be applied to any material. Say I bought a jacket: yes, there’s a hole in it, but I’m going to cover it in a cool patch or repair it.

What is the best book you’ve read recently?

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake – it’s a fantastic book! It makes you realise that we are part of a huge ecosystem that works in collaboration.

Best natural hotspots? 

I am deeply in love with the Maldives – it’s a beautiful country with an amazing underwater world. I also love South and South-east Asia, and there are also wonders in the Caribbean.

What advice would you give to someone who feels powerless in the face of climate change? 

Everyone has a voice, and there is always someone who is listening. Take your voice very seriously; there is no reason to doubt that you have influence – everybody has a superpower! I 100% believe that change isn’t driven by the big players but by individuals who have had enough or saw the future and had a vision.