#HereForIt: Paddle for Plastic - Odyssey Innovation

As British innovation goes, in 2014 Rob Thompson's passion to rid the seas of plastic pollution is up there with the best of them. Odyssey Innovation works with a range of stakeholders in South West England to find a circular solution to end-of-life and recovered abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear. It arranges for material to be collected and processed so that recycled plastic can used to create a range of kayaks and accessories. 

The concept for recycling marine plastic into kayaks and other products came from a need to resolve three recurring obstacles encountered while conducting ocean clean-up activities:

• How to access inaccessible coves, estuaries and other areas not frequented by regular beach cleaners;
• How to effectively manage the plastics generated through clean-up operations; and
• How to fund the running costs of doing this. 

Rob came up with an ambitious plan to combine these problems and use the circular economy to create a workable solution. With support from Seafish and Morrisons, he founded Odyssey Innovation to collaborate with a wide range of organisations – including the Ocean Recovery Project, charities and NGOs, government bodies, the fishing industry, recyclers, manufacturers, innovators and businesses – to find sustainable solutions to tackle marine plastic pollution.

You can find out more by watching the video below: 

A journey we follow closely, a great concept and cause we support.