Stories

SDG 14 week is powered by Bracenet

"All life on earth probably began in the depths of the ocean. So we humans are not only responsible, we are a part of them." said founders Benjamin and Madeleine.

09.04.2020.

How to turn waste into raising awareness about the problem in oceans we all need to think about?

Bracenet, our partner of the week, does exactly that, so we asked them to tell us their story.

What motivated you to start Bracenet?

"Lost or deliberately discarded by fisheries, ghost nets keep fishing without end, haunting our oceans and threatening life below water. They pose an unimaginable threat: according to recent studies, ghost nets account for 30 to 50 % of all plastic waste in the oceans. Millions of marine animals get caught in these nets and suffer a cruel death. It’s time to end this!"

What do you do?

"Together with partners Healthy Seas and Ghost Diving, Bracenet recovers ghost nets and, after they have been cleaned by partner Nofir, upcycles them into new products by hand in Germany, such as bracelets (the Bracenets), dog leashes, keychains and many more. These products preserve the original net material, but take on new functions and meaning: they are statements against plastic waste. Bracenet is paving the way towards a circular economy, as 10 % of all proceeds are donated to Healthy Seas to support further net recovery efforts; and democratises the protection of life below water, as each product means one piece of ghost net less.

So far, Bracenet has raised around 100.000 € of donations for various ocean protection organizations, including an impressive 90.000 € to Healthy Seas. This has greatly assisted them in retrieving 510 tons of ghost net so far, of which Bracenet has upcycled almost 5 tons – saving thousands of marine animals, helping ocean ecosystems flourish, and preventing the nets from dissolving into microplastics.

As 640.000 more tons of ghost nets enter the oceans yearly, Bracenet also focuses on preventive solutions. Bracenet has brought the issue to the attention of German authorities, NGOs and the public; is researching the issue with universities, and collaborating with the fishing industry. The work is paying off – many fisheries are sending discarded fishing nets directly to Bracenet so that they don’t end up at sea. Recently, Bracenet joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, to share its learnings with a global network. "

What is your goal?

"Overall, Bracenet’s goal is to save the seas and preserve life below water, as aimed for in the SDGs. Bracenet is driving a change of heart in the population so that we become aware of the consequences of our consumption and adapt our behaviour as a community in order to meet the challenges of the future."

"SDG 14, life below water is what we are fighting for. All life on earth probably began in the depths of the ocean. So we humans are not only responsible, we are a part of them. Protecting the seas while recovering ghost nets and transform them into a visible and strong symbol – the Bracenet – is our contribution for a better world.“ concluded founders Benjamin Wenke and Madeleine von Hohenthal.

Stay in touch and support them here.
 

Join 1MillionStartups to be among the like-minded solution makers working towards achieving the #SDGs.
Read more about the 1MillionStartups SDG Weekly campaign.