At this day and age environmental awareness is not just a reality but should be part of our lifestyle as well. Being informed is only the start and that we must all be pro-active because every little deed done by everyone at a regular basis yields more years of life to our planet. Chancing upon environment friendly products like  Ocean Minded™ which pique my my curiosity I do more research about it.

The Ocean Minded™ brand was established in 1996 by Gary Ward, and was built on the principles of protecting our beaches, respecting the environment, and an overall love for life. They encourage you to pick up 10 pieces of trash the next time you head out to your favorite place,  Ocean Minded™ products are not just environment friendly but its a company that has core values committed to long term visible and effective conservation in the outdoor industry.

Last year they accomplished the following:

1 – Beach Clean-ups: In, 2009, Ocean Minded collected and properly disposed of approximately 20,912 pounds of trash from beach clean-ups globally. With over 1,717 participants in 47 clean-ups world wide the company hosted 13 clean-ups outside of the USA, these international events took place in: Cape Town, South Africa, (2 cleanups in) East Coast Park, Singapore, Boracay, Philippines, Manly Beach, Australia, Maasbay Beach, South Africa, Strand Beach, South Africa, Sydney Harbour, Australia, (2 cleanups in) Gordon’s Bay, South Africa, Muizenberg Beach, South Africa, Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa, Pulau Hantu, Singapore2 – Environmentally Friendly Materials: In 2009, Ocean Minded really stepped it up in an effort to use as much recycled material in their footwear, apparel and accessories as possible including the following:

* Recycled Croslite™ Material: They utilize post-production scraps of Croslite™ material in certain footwear styles; these pieces of material would normally go to waste.

* Recycled Car Tires: Each year, approximately 200 million automobile tires end up in the landfills of the United States. We reuse these tires as durable, sturdy out soles in many of our shoes and sandals.

* Hemp: They use hemp for uppers, out soles and laces in our shoes as well as for straps in our sandals. Hemp requires little use of herbicides and pesticides in cultivation, and its fibers are used to produce strong, enduring fabrics and cording.

* Water-based Glue: Traditional shoe and sandal production use solvent-based glues, which can release volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere, resulting in air and water pollution. Ocean Minded uses water-based glues in all of our footwear production to minimize environmental impact.

* Metal-free leather: Chromium sulfate is used in standard leather processing to tan hides and is poisonous to humans and other forms of life. Without proper handling and disposal, this deadly chemical can make its way into lakes, streams and ground water, ultimately polluting our precious water supplies. We use leathers tanned only with natural vegetable tannins in order to reduce the environmental risk associated with standard leather processing.

* Organic Cotton: We have chosen to use organic cotton in the production of our t-shirts, as well as in the lining of all of our shoes. Organic cotton is cotton that is grown without pesticides, from plants that are not genetically modified.

* Recycled Plastic Bottles: Polyethylene Terephthalate, commonly abbreviated PET, is a thermoplastic polymer resin and is widely used in beverage, food and other liquid containers. It can easily be recycled into a variety of products, and Ocean Minded uses recycled PET for toe posts in a number of our sandals.

* Vegan Choice: In our ‘Vegan Choice’ footwear styles, none of the materials used in production are derived from animals.

* Recycled EVA: Ocean Minded uses recycled EVA for footbeds and midsoles in a variety of our footwear styles. Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is a polymer used in the production of numerous padded products and can easily be recycled.

4 – Surfrider Foundation: Ocean Minded proudly supports the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. In 2009, Ocean Minded donated $18,000 to help the foundation in their environmental efforts. A note of appreciation:

“The Surfrider Foundation would like to thank Ocean Minded for their commitment towards keeping our planet’s oceans and beaches clean. Whether it be supporting critical environmental efforts, to organizing local beach clean-ups around the world, Ocean Minded have proven themselves as one of our industries most determined environmental stewards.”  – Matt McClain, Director of Marketing/Communications for Surfrider Foundation

5 – Ocean Mined Employee Wellness:  The office set up, and especially, the location provides an amazing environment that encourages hard work and provides easy access to the ocean lifestyle we all love. The Ocean Minded crew is highly motivated in tackling this hard economic market and being able to grab a quick lunchtime hour in the ocean or a run on the beach helps to maintain that drive

6 – Ocean Minded Pick Up3 Event: Growing up near the ocean, Cobi Emery developed a passion for clean beaches at an early age. When he was only 10years-old, Cobi came up with a simple philosophy, that by picking up just three pieces of trash every time you visit the beach you will significantly reduce the world’s ocean pollution. From this idea he founded ‘Pick Up3’, an environmental movement dedicated to helping remove pollution from beaches and waterways. In 2008, Cobi joined forces with Ocean Minded in an effort to spread the ‘Pick Up 3’ message globally. This well matched partnership allows Cobi’s simple idea of cleaning beaches to flourish and spread between communities and eventually the world.

7 – Renewable Materials, Responsible Choices: Ocean Minded’s catalogs and promotional materials are printed in the USA by an Forest Stewardship Council certified printer, using post-consumer recycled paper and UV inks. Just printing our Spring Collection this way preserves 2 trees for the future, saves 1,060 gallons of waste water flow, and conserves 1,768,000 BTUs of energy.

I can go on but what really got me was  their efforts and campaign includes Philippine outdoor conservation. It is a living example that we Filipinos should not just be grateful for but moreso to inspire us to do the same in every way we can.

*For more information just click Ocean Minded™ or visit their 4th floor SM Mega Atrium branch