Save Our Seas: Ocean-Friendly Plastic Alternatives

Did you know that an estimated 14 million tons of plastic end up in oceans each year? How about that plastic pollution kills more than 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals each year?

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Plastic in our oceans is an enormous problem. As well as harming animals, it threatens food safety and quality, impacts the economy, and contributes to climate change. That’s why this Clean Beaches Week, we’re shining a spotlight on some of the innovative alternatives to traditional plastic in the hopes that we can foster healthier seas.

Ocean Bound Plastic

Ocean bound plastic is, you guessed it, plastic waste that’s at risk of ending up in the ocean. While reducing our reliance on plastic and properly recycling the plastic we do use can help combat this problem at an earlier stage, brands have also found an innovative way to save and repurpose plastic on its way to our seas; by using it in packaging! In addition to replacing the need for 1,000 single-use swabs, LastObject's LastSwab Basic is made from recycled ocean bound plastic to help clean up our oceans.

Sugarcane Plastic

Sugarcane plastic, which you’ll find in some packaging, is a plant-based alternative to conventional plastic. To create sugarcane plastic, the sugarcane plant is first “crushed” to release the sugar juices. It's then processed a second time to break down the sugar cane further and create ethanol, a plant-based alcohol. Using new technologies, the ethanol is then transformed into a plastic that has the same properties as the traditional kind made from oil.

Sugarcane plastic benefits our oceans because it’s 100% recyclable, which can’t be said for all other types of plastic. Additionally, it aids in the fight against climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, the exact opposite of traditional plastic which requires mining for oil and releasing carbon into the air.

Eco Smart Technology

Eco Smart technology is another innovation used by Salt & Stone. Created by Federal Package, this technology enables plastics to fully break down into environments so they’re biodegradable in days, not decades. By helping plastics break down before they reach our oceans, this technology may help reduce the staggering 8 million pieces of plastic that make their way to the sea every day.