About us!
Hello beautiful land mermaid!
I'm Addy, the maker behind Ocean Plastics Jewelry. Let me tell you a bit about myself and what we do.
To start from the wayyyy beginning, I grew up working on my family's small oyster farm in Duxbury, MA growing some of the tastiest oysters imaginable. Being passionate about the health of our oceans and how it would affect the farm, this lead me, during undergrad, to do research on how microplastics affect oysters.*
So fast forward to early Covid times when we all had some time on our hands. I started taking some of the microplastic I collected and creating things to brighten my friends and family's day. Plus scratch the creative itch I was feeling. I wanted to take something so small but harmful and turn it into something positive. So this was the beginning of Ocean Plastics, working on a tiny workbench wedged in a carport. Since then, the support of my friends and family has been overwhelming. Ocean Plastics wouldn't be where it is today without their help and nonstop encouragement. (I love you guys)
Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff…
How do we do it?
Well, each piece of microplastic is collected by hand by walking the beach and picking it up. No machines. No buying plastic from somewhere else. Just me and some friends trying to do our part to remove pollutants from our local waterways. We concentrate on plastic that is an inch or less in size because that plastic is nearly impossible to recycle. The larger items we find, like bottles and bottle caps, we put in the recycling bin. Because in theory it will be reused again but in reality, less than 9% of the plastic that is recycled actually gets reused so that's a bummer.
It takes about three hours of beach combing to fill a pint-sized container with microplastic, and many more hours of cleaning and sanitizing. When the plastic is spakling clean from its scrubby bath, I take the tiny pieces of microplastic and put them in a mold then use plant-based resin create the final product.
Each Ocean Plastics piece is handmade with love, care, and a sprinkle of sea salt. I meticulously handcraft every item, ensuring that the unique beauty of the microplastics shines through, my way of transforming pollution into environmentally friendly works of art.
I designed these pieces for those who have a deep love for the water and a strong desire to protect our oceans.
Ocean Plastics is not just about creating stunning jewelry. It's about making a difference. Every piece you purchase directly contributes to the removal of harmful plastics from the ocean, preventing them from being ingested by marine life and reducing pollution in our community. It's a small step towards a cleaner and healthier planet.
Plus For every item purchased, a dollar is donated to Surfrider Foundation further contributing to the preservation of our beautiful waterways.
So, welcome to Ocean Plastics. Together, let's make a positive impact. Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey, and I hope you find as much joy in wearing these creations as I do in making them. I cherish every minute of this messy, sunburnt work, and I'm incredibly grateful that I can share it with you.