BÄR supports VOX MARIS – the foundation committed to clean seas
From old to new: shoes made from fishing nets
“Imagine” by John Lennon is one of those songs that never loses its relevance. It’s about how we can always dream of a better world. And that everyone can do something to make it happen. John Lennon probably wasn’t thinking about shoes when he wrote the song – but even here, we can make a positive impact. Considering that, on average, women in Germany buy six new pairs of shoes per year and men buy two, it’s clear that the right shoe purchase can make a valuable contribution. This is especially true when shoes are produced sustainably, made with high-quality craftsmanship, and are therefore long-lasting and repairable. BÄR’s latest initiative aims to contribute to cleaning up the seas. That’s why we are supporting the VOX MARIS project with a generous donation.
Background: The sea is polluted with millions of tons of plastic, a number that continues to rise, harming people, animals, and plants. We must take action – for example, by working together to combat marine pollution and supporting local communities and the circular economy. In this spirit, we are supporting the VOX MARIS project as a sponsor and cooperation partner, a cause that is particularly close to our hearts:
The project by the non-profit organization BioDesign Foundation collects discarded fishing nets and the plastic “caught” in the nets, such as bottles, cans, and bags, in the Mediterranean. Containers are set up near ports and fish markets where fishermen can deposit their fishing waste, which is then weighed and compensated. Since the foundation was established in April 2021, more than 130,000 kg of fishing nets and other fishing gear have already been collected in Chioggia. The ambitious goal for this year is to reduce the number of discarded nets in the Italian Mediterranean to zero. The plastic waste is not destroyed but taken to processing plants where it is sorted, cleaned, processed, and reshaped – for example, into textile yarn. This can be used to create new products without consuming new resources.
SEAQUAL® YARN is also a high-quality yarn made from 100% recycled polyester, which is almost identical in its physical properties to new polyester. In the SEAQUAL INITIATIVE, individuals, organizations, and companies work together to clean our oceans, raise awareness of plastic waste, and recycle plastic waste – including in the fashion industry. For example, SEAQUAL® YARN contains about 10% recycled plastic waste from the world’s oceans and 90% plastic waste from land sources.
As we said: from old to new – to make our world a little better, cleaner, and more sustainable. We can all do something!
In collaboration with SEAQUAL®, SEAQUAL® YARN is used and processed further. The upper material is made from 100% recycled materials: 90% from PET bottles, 10% from SEAQUAL® MARINE PLASTIC.
