Seven Clean Seas
An ocean without plastic. Picture it!
Together with Seven Clean Seas, ést.lab pledges to remove 1,000 kg of plastic from the ocean within the next year. This translates to over 58,000 plastic bottles, or their weight equivalent in plastic.
The beauty industry significantly contributes to plastic pollution, producing a staggering 120 billion units of beauty packaging each year. Most of this packaging is single-use plastic, discarded quickly and rarely recycled. As an industry, we have a responsibility to address this issue, starting with cleaning up our waterways.
What started as a beach cleanup project in Singapore has since evolved into a dedicated ocean cleanup organisation in Bali. Seven Clean Seas now focuses on coastlines, mangroves, rivers, and nearshore areas in Indonesia and Thailand, with a goal to recover over 10 million kilos of plastic from marine, riverine, and terrestrial sources by 2025 from some of the world’s most polluted regions.
Over the past few years, Seven Clean Seas has
This mission is crucial as plastic pollution is choking our rivers, oceans, and ecosystems, impacting the water we drink and the food we consume. To tackle this, the Seven Clean Seas team develops large-scale cleanup projects and provides contractual and fair employment to 100+ workers across their project sites.
A portion of the proceeds from every full-sized ést.lab product purchased will go towards supporting Seven Clean Seas in their ocean cleanup efforts. Through this CSR initiative, we strive to tackle ocean plastic pollution and foster sustainable solutions that benefit both our environment and local communities.
ést.lab is committed to supporting Seven Clean Seas in their efforts to make our oceans cleaner and our planet healthier. Stay tuned for updates on this initiative.
FAQs
Who is Seven Clean Seas?
Seven Clean Seas is an Ocean Impact organisation dedicated to ridding the oceans of plastic pollution by creating systemic & sustainable change. They are building a community committed to challenging the status quo, getting involved, and cleaning the seas. Their mission is to remove 10 million kilos of plastic—equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower—from the ocean by 2025, as well as reducing plastic leakage through education and prevention. To achieve this, they collaborate with businesses and individuals like us to co-create sustainability initiatives and set targets that measure, reduce, and offset plastic footprints.
How do you remove plastic from the ocean? And from where?
We have partnered with the incredible team at Seven Clean Seas, an ocean cleanup organisation based in Bali, to remove marine plastic from coastlines, mangroves, rivers and nearshore areas in Indonesia and Thailand. Their mission is to remove over 10 million kilos of marine debris from some of the world’s most polluted areas by 2025.
Seven Clean Seas takes a transparent approach by formally employing waste pickers in Indonesia, ensuring that every piece of plastic waste is tracked and reported accurately. This commitment to ethical practices means no green-washing or exploitation, as they provide fair wages and support to local communities.
By cleaning up our coastlines, mangroves, rivers, and nearshore areas, Seven Clean Seas is making a significant impact on both the environment and local livelihoods. It’s a win-win sea-tuation.
What happens to the plastic you remove from the ocean?
Once plastic is collected from beaches and waterways, the Seven Clean Seas team brings it to their Material Recycling Facility (MRF) for sorting and separation. The sheer volume of PET bottles uncovered is staggering, often amounting to tons from just one area.
Unfortunately, much of the collected plastic is heavily contaminated with organic matter, tar, or degraded by UV radiation, rendering it non-recyclable. Only about 5% of the total plastic collected is recyclable, primarily PET bottles, which are then donated to the local informal sector. The rest must be disposed of in a government-managed landfill to ensure it does not re-enter the environment.
This end-of-life solution is rigorously third-party audited by Control Union under the Zero Plastic Oceans certification to confirm that the waste is permanently removed from the environment. Seven Clean Seas is also investing in research and development to discover upcycling solutions for non-recyclable materials, with the goal of achieving zero waste to landfill in the future.
While it’s not a perfect solution, it’s a significant step forward in combating ocean pollution and protecting our planet.
What does "equivalent weight in plastic" mean?
The weight of a plastic bottle (specifically a 375ml plastic soft drink bottle and cap to be exact!) is defined as 17 grams. With our commitment to remove 1,000 kg of plastic waste through Seven Clean Seas, this translates to over 58,000 bottles. Just in case you thought we might be pulling a swift-one and removing the weight of flimsy water bottles, we’re not.
What is PET and what’s the big issue with plastic bottles?
PET stands for Polyethylene Terephthalate and is a widely used type of plastic most commonly used in soft drink bottles. Its widespread use and improper disposal contribute significantly to plastic pollution.
Does ést.lab use plastic?
Yes, plastic is often an unavoidable part of doing business. However, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact and are transitioning to refillable bottles made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. This is a crucial step in our sustainability efforts. Additionally, to further our commitment, we have partnered with Seven Clean Seas to remove marine plastic, aligning with our goal to minimise waste and support a cleaner environment.