When eight companies mostly unknown to one another came together for the first time in May of 2021, they were bound only by a commitment to protect our oceans and planet. Today, these founding members of The Good Ocean are actively supporting SeaLegacy’s commitment to ocean protection.
“One of the questions I get asked the most is, ‘What can I do?'” says SeaLegacy Co-Founder and President Cristina Mittermeier. “This question comes from individuals, and it also comes from businesses. Increasingly, consumers are demanding the products and services they support with their purchasing power be aligned with their desire to be accountable for their impact on earth. Members of The Good Ocean are addressing that demand and stepping into the crucial role businesses play in conservation work. Together, we are taking steps towards systemic change in our consumer culture and our members are leading the way.”
SeaLegacy aligns with businesses who genuinely care about their impact on the ocean – and the planet – and are proactively attentive to the growing consumer demand for accountability in how products are made, sold and marketed. Members of The Good Ocean make a minimum annual donation to SeaLegacy and aspire to meet and exceed conservation best practices across their entire supply chain and within their employment ecosystems, and sign a membership pledge as part of the onboarding process. They are eager to learn, evolve, and implement improvements to benefit their suppliers, employees, consumers, and therefore the planet and the ocean.
Over the past year, SeaLegacy hosted two powerful virtual round tables at which members of The Good Ocean were provided a space for knowledge sharing, direct access to SeaLegacy leaders as well as opportunity for unique collaborations and access to peer groups who consistently drive innovation and sustainability through the supply chain.
“The Good Ocean is a special opportunity to collaborate with and gain mentorship from some of the world’s leading environmentalists,” says Founding Member Kris Cody of Paka Apparel, a Certified B Corporation. Paka is disrupting the adventure clothing industry in multiple ways and recently launched the Origin program with the first-ever alpaca hoodie to deepen our connection to where our clothing comes from. Origin shares the exact coordinates where a garment was sourced.
Ryan and Juliana Kissick of Good Juju Ink have dedicated an incredible amount of time and input to developing The Good Ocean. “It no longer makes sense for businesses to tackle environmental and social challenges on their own. There’s too much work to be done and too little time,” they say. Good Juju Ink is a high-end stationery business committed to removing plastic sleeves from all of their greeting cards while actively working to phase out plastic from their other categories. Good Juju Ink recently won four Louie Awards, including the most prestigious, Greeting Card of the Year from the Greeting Card Association.
“It shouldn’t be a badge of honor when we see a business taking ESG issues seriously,” say the Kissicks. “That should be the norm, and frankly, we’re all dealing with the same challenges, so why not tackle them together? The Good Ocean enables businesses like ours to do just that alongside an incredible cohort of transparent, dedicated, and thoughtful businesses and entrepreneurs.”
It is difficult to overstate the importance of restoring the ocean back to health and thus critical to find serious partners with which to direct resources.
See related article: Hanwha Solutions supplies Samsung Electronics with recycled ocean-bound materials for Galaxy devices
“The Good Ocean is an excellent example of a platform for impact,” says Carolina Manhusen Schwab, President of Ocean Born Foundation. Ocean Beer is answering the call from surfers to do something about the rubbish washing up on otherwise pristine beaches by committing 100% of its profits to the ocean. “As part of the first-rate non-profit organization SeaLegacy, the team is highly knowledgeable in all areas critical to the ocean and gives members tremendous access to up-to-date information to guide action and funds.”
Other founding members of The Good Ocean are:
- Darya Hope, launched just last summer with non-toxic ingredients, FSC-certified paper packaging, 100% recyclable glass, and post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics, is already # 1 on Glamour Magazine’s list of best green beauty products
- Sheringham Distillery, has terroir and sustainability at its core. Sheringham Distillery believes that, “Business sustainability is crucial in helping our world today and ensuring that future generations can thrive.” Sheringham uses sustainably harvested winged kelp as a botanical in their Seaside Gin and plans to be carbon neutral certified by 2023.
- Lowepro, part of Vitec Imaging Solutions, is working towards concrete actions to offer photographers a new line of backpacks that use 100% recycled, reused, upcycled materials with a promise to be fully transparent with consumers. This will be paired with the Green Line Fund launching later this year to put much-needed seed money into projects focused on conservation initiatives.
- Earth Folio, through Blue Marble Investments, started a company to help align people’s money with their values, proving that protecting our planet and investing doesn’t have to be a compromise.
- KOS, is mission-driven lifestyle brand and producer of plant-based protein and functional ingredients working to bring more sustainable packaging to market. KOS believes we can live in a world of abundant resources, nutritional plenty, and ecological wholeness.
“Far too many people think of ocean conservation as a distant issue that doesn’t impact their daily lives, or they feel frustrated by the sheer scale of the problems we face. “When I look at what our members are accomplishing and pioneering in their fields, I am inspired,” says Mittermeier.
SeaLegacy looks forward to welcoming additional members into The Good Ocean, always maintaining a collaborative approach to building a movement of ocean advocates around the world. For more information on how to apply, please contact kait@sealegacy.org.
Source: SeaLegacy