Aussie start-up Ocean Armour is giving single-use plastic a new life.
Ocean Armour is a new Aussie start-up on a mission to protect our oceans from plastic waste. Founded by dive professionals and passionate ocean lovers, they saw the impact of plastic pollution in our oceans every day and decided to do something about it, by turning single-use plastic destined for our oceans or landfill into practical change ponchos and travel towels.
Most travel towels are made from polyester, the most-common plastic in the world. Polyester is made from crude oil, with an estimated 36 million tonnes produced every year. It can be found in everything – used to make plastic bottles, cutlery, athletic wear, rashies, and more, and every new item made will take 500-1,000 years to decompose. Naturally, the oil and coal we draw from the planet to produce the massive amounts of polyester and other plastics doesn’t do much to help the ongoing climate crisis. With an estimated 60 billion plastic bottles thrown away globally each year, and many ending up in our waterways and oceans, the global plastic pollution problem continues to escalate. Scientists have predicted that by 2050, by weight, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea. Ocean Armour is creating a demand for post-consumer waste by taking single-use plastic bottles and turning it into sustainable and practical changing ponchos and travel towels, while still ensuring quality and performance. Instead of taking resources from our planet, recycled polyester uses existing polyester, usually single-use plastic bottles.
Giving plastic a second life and saving it from reaching our oceans isn’t the only benefit. The process to create recycled polyester takes 90% less water, requires 70% less energy and has a 80% lower carbon footprint compared to virgin polyester. Each poncho recycles approximately 35 plastic bottles, and 20 for each towel, while still creating a soft, super absorbent towel material that is quick-dry, lightweight, antimicrobial and earth-friendly. Partnering with local Australian artists for their marine inspired designs, they hope to inspire ocean lovers to make different consumer choices to protect our oceans.
Ocean Armour hopes not only to protect our oceans from plastic pollution in the future, they also donate 10% profits to Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef and their Great Reef Census initiative to positively impact regeneration projects to mitigate the impacts of climate change that the reef is facing right now. You can find out more about the Great Reef Census.
When you pop on one of these ponchos during your next surface interval, you’ll get dry while turning heads with the bold marine designs, and you can be proud to be taking a step in the right direction for our oceans. You can purchase an earth-friendly towel for $59 and change poncho for $89 through their website oceanarmour
This article was originally published in Scuba Diver ANZ #53.
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