Ocean Bottle produces sustainably-made reusable water bottles, investing 15% of its profits to collecting and recycling plastic, while improving the livelihoods of those communities impacted by plastic waste. For the three years Ocean Bottle has worked with such communities, its members have received access to health programs, schools and technology. These improvements consolidate Ocean Bottle dedication to its environmental and social mission.
Learn a little more about our latest addition to the Walpole collective in our interview with Ocean Bottle's Founder, Will Pearson, below.
Walpole: Tell us about the history of your brand…
Will Pearson: I spent my childhood exploring the Norwegian fjords with my grandfather, so I had a love of the ocean from a young age. I witnessed first-hand the environmental impact of plastic waste as I was working on a yacht as a deckhand. This experience inspired me to found Ocean Bottle, a brand of sustainably-made reusable water bottles.
We donate 15% of the revenue from each bottle sold to fund the collection of 11 kilograms of ocean plastic waste, equivalent to about 1,000 plastic bottles by weight. We have supported collection projects in Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Ghana, Kenya, Brazil, and Egypt – and we're in the process of doing the same in the Dominican Republic.
What has been a significant achievement in your company’s timeline?
As Jacob Collier performed at Glastonbury last year, he had a bright Sun Orange Ocean Bottle sitting on top of the piano he was playing. We still get giddy seeing our products out in the real world.
Why does your brand represent the very best in British luxury?
Ocean Bottle embodies a paradigm shift towards sustainability and social responsibility. We’re trying to build a brand that pushes a planet-positive equation. We have dedicated 15% of our revenue to fund plastic collection initiatives worldwide, transcending the industry norm of 1% for the planet. By prioritising our environmental and social objectives, we are not just setting a new standard for luxury brands; we are pioneering a transformative business model.
What attracted you to becoming a Walpole member?
In 2022, Ocean Bottle graduated from Walpole's Brands of Tomorrow programme, affirming its status as an emerging British luxury company. Walpole's unrivalled respect and reach within the world of business and retail will offer us insight into the US market as well as the opportunity to build up an advocacy network to complement our distribution strategy.
If you could collaborate with another Walpole member, which one would you choose and what would you like to do?
It's our ambition that reusable water bottles will become as essential as a phone or a pair of shoes and that plastic bottles will become extinct. We’d like to partner with Smythson on launching a limited-edition reusable bottle as they’re the original British accessories pioneer with the cultural appeal, infrastructure and network to be a global brand. We’d add hydration stations in every store to encourage positive refill behaviour and could reward every refill with more plastic collection thanks to the help of our sister brand, Ocean Co.
Tell us about an exciting development or new launch for your brand in the coming months...
We have expanded our drinkware offerings to now include a tumbler and a mug. Summer sees us launch a new version of our award-winning Original ocean bottle: lighter in weight but heavier on hydration.
