We met Nicky from Ocean Plan during our beach clean in Devon 2021. We cleaned up Westward-Ho! beach with 200 students from the University of Bristol.
Ocean Plan caught our attention with a brilliant reel on instagram showing a clean up event. Doing a double-take we quickly realised it was our event that we held in collaboration with Bristol University in Devon. We immediately felt like we had to reach out and shine a light on the good work one of our former volunteers is doing.
With 10% made being donated to ocean charities, we couldn’t be more supportive of Nicky’s work.
Reaching out, we spoke to Nicky who is the mastermind behind Ocean Plan and her mission to keep out oceans plastic free. Here is our interview with her:
Tell us more about yourself.
Hi I’m Nicky, I’m studying Biology at the University of Bristol, but my passion for all things nature started long before education. I believe the best thing we can do in life is make a positive impact on people and the environment, to do something you are truly passionate about and see where that takes you. Through blending creativity and a bit of science, I have been able to make beautiful 100% recycled plastic earrings which have allowed me to do this very thing.
Tell us more about your business Ocean Plan.
Ocean Plan is an eco-friendly brand, taking care of its customers and the environment. I wanted to bring purpose to plastic waste and to encourage the recycling/upcycling of materials. Each product is handmade and uniquely coloured and crafted, meaning no two pairs are the same!
Our 100% recycled plastic earrings start as single use plastic waste, such as plastic bottle tops and milk cartons which are donated to us, and ends up as a brand new product. This way, no new plastic, such as resin, needs to be brought into the world. We can lengthen the lifetime of single use plastic by years through recycling, keeping it out of landfills and oceans for far longer than pre-destined.
I am passionate about reducing plastic pollution, which is why 10% of money from each pair sold is put towards ocean conservation charities which focus on this.
What motivated you to start your business with such an eco-focus?
I have recognized for years, as have most people, that plastic waste has such a detrimental impact on our environment. After working out what tools were required to not only recycle plastic, but make an aesthetic product that consumers would be attracted to, I got to work on making earrings which had a positive impact on the environment. I hope that these earring start conversations about plastic pollution, recycling, and are valuable in spreading awareness about plastic waste, as well as how it can be repurposed through creativity.
Recycling is not by all means the solution to plastic pollution, but it reduces and slows the impact of plastic in the world, which is a great place to start!
Tell us about an exciting project you are working on/have planned
There are many projects in the works for the future of Ocean Plan, so it’s an exciting time! Firstly, I am constantly releasing new creative earring designs, and am looking at expanding to bracelets and necklaces.
I am continuing to get my wonderful earrings into markets and stores, but my biggest project at the moment is building my own personal website for Ocean Plan. This will bring more freedom to the brand and truly let Ocean Plan thrive independently in its own creative way!
What does the future hold for you and Ocean Plan?
I hope to continue to grow and find people that love Ocean Plan. I believe it is the future of design for accessories and I hope to inspire others to find creative ways to up-cycle plastic waste.
I’m looking forward to future partnerships with ocean conservation charities to bring more light to our donations to charity, really underlining the positive impact that can come from beach cleans and spreading awareness about environmental issues!
We are so proud to highlight the wonderful work Nicky is doing. With such an entrepreneurial spirit and focus on the planet, we are sure that Nicky will continue to achieve great things, both in business and for the planet.
Find out more about Oceanplan on their instagram here, or on their Etsy page here.
