a less… plastic beach

Recycled marine plastic converts into textiles.

Published On: 24/02/2022

One of our favorites: British textile manufacturer, Camira has produced a line of commercial textiles in collaboration with the ‘SEAQUAL Initiative’ to help in the fight against marine pollution. The range aptly named Oceanic, is made from post-consumer recycled plastic sourced from floating debris in our oceans and washed up on our beaches.

The plastic waste is first washed, then spun into a yarn that is used to produce a durable and aesthetically beautiful fabric for many interior applications.

“SEAQUAL Initiative works with ocean clean-ups around the world, to bring value to the waste they recover.”

SEAQUAL is a fantastic initiative that works together with community groups, NGO’s, governments, ocean clean-up initiatives, researchers, fisheries as well scientists and educators, to collect ‘waste’ pollutants and transform them into raw materials. Together, finding tangible alternatives to our current linear, disposable system, and toward a circular economy, where nothing is wasted. Not only are they cleaning up an ocean of mess, but also turning what was once pollution into a valuable and beautiful resource.

New ‘Quest’ range of fabrics from Camira x SEAQUAL Initiative

Continuing their ongoing collaboration with SEAQUAL, Camira has just released a new line of fabrics called Quest, following the same recycling principals as Oceanic, with a rich texture available in 27 colours. For every metre of Quest textiles produced, the equivalent of 23 plastic bottles is removed from oceans or landfill sites. Camira also makes a direct donation to the SEAQUAL Initiative with every sale, to continue their ongoing efforts to clean up our oceans.

Textiles play a huge role in what we do at T3 – so we’re always on the hunt for new and innovative production methods and materials. Turning marine plastic into textiles may be just one small step toward cleaning our planet and it’s oceans, but it’s a vital one. In the current global environmental crisis, every level of every industry needs to innovate to find a sustainable of working and also to fund clean-up and regenerative programs.

As a part of our ongoing commitment to operate as sustainably as possible and support environmental initiatives, we donate a portion of our earnings to organisations such as ‘The Ocean Clean up.’ This non-profit organisation “develops and scales technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.”

‘Oceanic’ fabric by Camira x SEAQUAL Initiative

‘Oceanic’ fabric colourways by Camira x SEAQUAL Initiative

We are particularly excited about new advancements in the circular economy and the use of post-consumer ‘waste’ materials, as the basis of design innovation. If you have, or know of a new process, material or product you’d like to share – hit us up! We’d love to hear from you: workwithus@toitoitoiluv.com

For more info on the ocean clean up, to donate or get involved – head their website: https://theoceancleanup.com/

For more on the great work of the SEAQUAL Initiative, head over to: https://www.seaqual.org/about-seaqual-initiative/

And last but not least, head to https://www.camirafabrics.com/us/inspiration/quest-a-seaqual-fabric,-created-with-a-conscience for more on the Camira x SEAQUAL range of fabrics.

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all info sourced from Camira, The Ocean Clean Up and SEAQUAL Initiative websites.

images via DEZEEN, The Ocean Clean Up and Camira