Over the last ten years, Parley has built a global interception network for marine plastic waste. Working in countries ranging from Sri Lanka and the Maldives to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, our teams and volunteers collect huge amounts of waste plastic every month – from beaches and coastlines, from rivers, from fishermen and from community interception points where the public can get involved and learn about the problem firsthand.
With some of the collected plastic, we are able to give it new life – to transform what was previously worthless trash into Symbols of Change. We call it Parley Ocean Plastic®. Working with major brands, fashion designers and material suppliers, we have created a global demand which allows us to take plastic out of vulnerable areas where it might otherwise end up in the oceans.
When we started, people thought we were crazy – but today, we have a global supply chain linking some of the communities most at risk from plastic pollution with consumers who want to help. Now, it’s time to take the next step. To close the loop. To eliminate the transport of these materials and feed them directly back into local communities to benefit local people. We are proud to introduce the latest upgrade for our global Parley AIR Stations: an end-to-end, circular solution for plastic waste on islands and in remote areas.
PARLEY AIR STATION / BLUEPRINT MODULE
PARLEY OCEAN PLASTIC® 3D PRINTING
The Parley Blueprint Module closes the loop in Parley AIR Stations: the organization’s flagship educational tool and a collaboration hub for ocean awareness, exploration and activism. Composed of repurposed modular shipping container systems, these spaces act as classrooms, screening spaces and workshops for local communities to interact, learn, access new technologies and fall in love with the oceans.
Cyrill Gutsch, CEO and Founder of Parley for the Oceans explains: “The model showcased at the world stage of COP26 kicks off our vision for an eco-innovative future. We want to empower local communities across the globe by giving them the tools to turn local plastic pollution into business opportunities and useful objects that act as Symbols of Change advocating for the protection of the oceans, the environment and life. Working with two industry leaders, ABB and Nagami, we can now print on demand anywhere in the world to turn a problem into a solution.”
Deployed globally, Parley AIR Stations can help local communities to end the exploitation of informal waste pickers by offering them fair compensation and career opportunities, preventing the need to import a variety of materials and products from abroad, reducing carbon emissions and taking waste out of the environment. Intercepted marine debris is sorted, cleaned and processed on site for upcycling into 3D printed Ocean Plastic® furniture and other solid structures – keeping it out of the ocean while supporting local communities and schools with infrastructure.
To bring this vision to life, we are working with two industry leading partners – Nagami and ABB. Based in Spain, Nagami are 3D printing innovation experts. Together, we created PPE for healthcare workers when the pandemic first started, transforming Parley Ocean Plastic® into protective face shields at rapid speed, equipping the front lines. ABB robotics is the driving force behind the new Parley AIR Station module – allowing individuals and businesses to rapidly design, prototype and build solid structures like public benches, school furniture, community building parts and pretty much anything else.
Printing on demand, Parley AIR Stations allow countries and communities to address marine plastic at source, while reducing carbon emissions from both import and export.
