The plastic-turned sunglasses made from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been certified by DNV GL so buyers can be certain of both origin and authenticity.
The certification of the sunglass frames has been done to requirements in the chain of custody standard for plastics retrieved from the hydrosphere. This is a public standard that can be used by any organisation to certify the traceability and material integrity of plastic reclaimed from oceans, rivers, and lakes.
Authenticity of reclaimed plastic
Certification builds trust in the authenticity of the reclaimed plastic and new products made from it"
“Extracting plastic is only the first step in addressing a serious threat to our oceans and rivers. Turning trash into treasures is critical to funding further cleanup. With trillions of pieces of plastic in our oceans, a dramatic scaling of extraction is needed. Certification builds trust into the authenticity of the reclaimed plastic and new products made from it,” says Luca Crisciotti, CEO of DNV GL-Business Assurance.
Third-party certification
Third party certification to the standard helps organisations prove to customers the source of the material and that it has not been mixed with any other components after extraction before being manufactured into a new product. And that the overall weight of the plastic captured remains somewhat constant.
It also ensures that the plastic can be traced back to the location where it was extracted. Companies that want to be certified, must first implement processes and systems to meet the requirements of the standard.
Garbage to sunglasses
Extracting the necessary amounts of plastic requires ground-breaking technologies, significant efforts, and resources. For customers who want to contribute and buy products made with reclaimed plastic, certification by an independent third party assures them that the product is authentic.
“We started working with the Ocean Cleanup almost two years ago to build a thorough understanding of the process and needs before designing the standard. For everything to come full circle and finally see the garbage turn into a pair of sunglasses made from certified reclaimed plastic is extremely rewarding,” says Luca Crisciotti.
