From garbage patch to Ocean Product: A strategy for value creation using ocean plastic, for The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup is an NGO founded in 2013, with the aim to rid the world’s oceans of plastic by 2040. Collecting this plastic however begs the question: ‘What to do with this waste after it has left the ocean?’To answer this question, first, it is important to look at the material. In my research, I defined the following tiers of ocean plastic:Tier 1: Mechanically recyclable plastics and recolourableTier 2: Mechanically recyclable plastics, but black and non recolourableTier 3: Non-mechanically recyclable plasticsBased on an analysis The Ocean Cleanup and its context I defined three main goals that it should attempt to achieve with the plastic: Value: To gain as much income as possible from the plastic in order to be less dependent on donations.Awareness: To use the plastics to generate as much awareness as possible for the ocean plastic issue.Volume: To find a purpose for the entire volume of the extracted ocean plastic.No single product made from ocean plastic can satisfy all the goals and tiers at once. By developing a combination of complementary ideas with an underlying strategy, The Ocean Cleanup can maximise the impact on all three goals while ensuring that the different ideas fit with the material tiers.Through a combination of literature research and interviews (both with consumers and experts) I designed and developed the following strategies:1: Limited Ocean Plastic EditionsPartner with specific companies to make limited ocean plastic editions of existing products. This creates a win-win-win situation in which the consumers get a special version of a product, the partner company benefits from the positive brand association and The Ocean Cleanup accomplishes all three goals.2: Interior&Exterior ArchitectureCollaborate with processing companies to create building materials from the ocean plastic. In this context the fact that the material cannot be coloured is of lesser importance and the demand for sustainable materials is high.3: Arts & ExperimentsThis context allows for the extraction of as much value and awareness out of the non-recyclable plastic as possible by using it in for example: art projects and design competitions.These three distinct strategies fit together in an overarching brand concept I call: Ocean Product. This brand establishes a single point of recognition for consumers, while at the same time differentiating The Ocean Cleanup’s plastic from that of competitors.Finally, I integrated all findings into a partnership selection tool, which can help The Ocean Cleanup decide which partnerships are worth pursuing and which are not.I believe that this strategy, with its three tiers and partnership selection tool presents a complete vision of how The Ocean Cleanup can turn 80.000.000 kg of waste into ‘Ocean Product’.Strategic Product Desig