When it comes to picking your next travel memento, there’s an organisation that produces necklaces made from reclaimed plastic, and the proceeds go to cleaning up our oceans.

This organisation is the Sea Monkey Project, and they’re on a mission to build cottage industries (small factories run at someone’s home) rather than mass-producing. So the impact on the environment has been reduced to its bare bones. Using the plastics that would usually end up in the ocean, they create sustainably sourced and ethically produced souvenirs and gifts, which require the involvement of many individuals and local communities that share the same interest in saving the planet.

It all starts with collectors who find trash on beaches, rivers, sidewalks, and the ocean. The plastic waste, including bottles, styrofoam, and even tyres, is then cleaned and sorted by its type before it’s shredded in a special purpose machine. Everything is sustainable, right down to the moulds made from recycled aluminium cans which are used to transform the melted plastic shreds into one-of-a-kind turtle necklaces. This process is called upcycling, where waste is collected and turned into something more valuable and something that has its own story. Whereas downcycling, also a large and more frequent part of recycling, uses the material to create something of lesser quality, such as recycled plastic bags.

The result is green sea turtle and leatherback turtle necklaces that are made from 100% recycled plastic. And staying true to the cottage industry principle, none of the turtles is mass-produced. This means that each turtle is made, cleaned, and drilled by the local villagers, and everyone is a bit different from each other.

Why support the Sea Monkey project?

1. It cleans up the environment and aims at creating zero waste.
2. It educates local schools and communities through workshops, talks, and teaching material to avoid more waste taking place.
3. It improves lives by providing employment opportunities and income in developing countries.

Turtle necklaces are now available for USD 10 (or same in local currency) at the front desk in all our hotels. And you can sleep easy with a spotlessly clean conscience knowing that all of that money is going to a good cause.