Method’s Recycled Packaging Made from Ocean Plastic

Method's new recycled packaging initiative is raising awareness about the plastic gyres polluting our oceans.

One of the biggest problems with single-use plastic is that it makes its way into waterways and eventually into the oceans. Because of the way ocean currents work, plastic pollution clusters into gyres, which are basically just huge dead zones full of our discarded plastic, from large containers and bottles down to the tiny micropellets that give many exfoliating soaps their texture. This plastic also makes its way back onto land, polluting our beaches.

These plastic gyres are destroying the habitats in our oceans, killing wildlife, and endangering our health as well. Rather than contribute to more plastic pollution, the folks at Method have teamed up with the group Sustainable Coastlines to harvest that ocean plastic and turn it into packaging for their hand soap.

Method employees have been hitting the beach in Hawaii, but not with an umbrella drink in hand. Instead, they've been collecting washed up ocean plastic for this project. Scott Cooney at Ecolocalizer attended a talk where Method co-founder Adam Lowry discussed this packaging initiative:

Lowry said the 100% post consumer recycled bottle they made from are impractical and expensive. “This is not the solution to the problem,” he said. “What it is is an opportunity to bring a lot of awareness to the issue.”

Of course, the solution to this problem is something that my friend Andrea was just talking about on her blog: we just plain need to use less plastic. Period.

Ditching the disposable plastic is easier said than done, and I'm a big believer in just doing your best every day. Maybe today you'll remember to bring your own reusable mug to the coffee shop and pack that reusable water bottle too. Tomorrow when you head to the grocery store, grab reusable bags instead of getting plastic ones at the checkout lane. Not ready to ditch packaged foods that come in plastic? What if you could just cut back on those sorts of purchases?

Plastic is so ubiquitous in our lives that even if we all made a few small reductions in our plastic consumption, it would have a huge impact on plastic pollution. What ways can you think of to reduce the disposable plastic that you're using?

Image via Methodhome.com