The environmental impact organisation and eyewear specialist, Waterhaul is offering outdoor-lovers money for old rope – seriously – through the launch of a new initiative to inspire beachgoers to “give plastic waste a value”.
It’s the ocean plastic recycling brand’s latest campaign to tidy up British coastlines and waterways by rewarding participating members of the public with a £20 Waterhaul eyewear gift voucher for every collection of ‘ghost’ fishing gear they make.
While the Waterhaul team is based in Cornwall where the majority of the brand’s ‘ghost gear’ collection takes place, the campaign has been launched nationwide in a bid to inspire the nation and clean up Britain’s beaches and coastlines in the process.
‘Ghost gear’ is the name given to discarded fishing gear, currently the most abundant and harmful form of marine plastic pollution.
“How differently would you behave if instead of plastic, it was £20 notes littering our ocean and washing onto our shores?” asks Harry Dennis, founder of Waterhaul.
“The root cause of this plastic problem is that it is seen to be worthless ‘waste’. At Waterhaul, we give value and purpose to this plastic by recovering, recycling, and repurposing it. That value incentivises positive actions – and that’s what we’re putting into action with our ‘Money for Old Rope’ initiative.”
To participate, members of the public are encouraged to register with the Money for Old Rope campaign via the Waterhaul website before heading off out on their expedition to clean up their local beaches and coastlines. Collectors will then be asked to share their impact on social media tagging in Waterhaul (@waterhaul) and #Moneyforoldrope. At this point, Waterhaul will send a £20 gift voucher via your DMs to be used on the brand’s 100% recycled ghost gear eyewear range. Alongside this, you’ll receive instructions for freeposting your ghost gear to Waterhaul for recycling.
To go the extra mile, Waterhaul’s Harry is encouraging UK beachgoers to try their hand at litter-picking this summer.
“We’re huge believers in the idea that big change often stems from grassroots, community initiatives. If you’re already out on your beachside travels this summer, it’s easy to make a direct positive impact in the moment. There’s a lot to be said for being the change you wish to see in the world – and sharing that action. Don’t wait for someone else to take the first step.”
As an incentive, Waterhaul is making an offer to conscientious UK citizens without easy access to the beach this summer by offering a £10 gift voucher for proof of their local litter picking efforts by token of appreciation.
