a global problem
THE OCEANS ARE DROWNING IN THE FLOOD OF PLASTIC
One of the five massive plastic gyres in our oceans, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is 4.5 times the size of Germany. And here´s something few people know: 46% of it consists of ghost nets , lost or deliberately discarded fishing nets. Every year, another million tons of these nets end up in our oceans, where they continue to trap marine life, leading to a slow and painful death for countless creatures. These nets drift through the seas for 600-800 years before breaking down into microplastics - unless we do something about it!
our mission
WE´RE FREEING THE OCEANS FROM THE GHOSTS OF NETS
We want the oceans to be what they once were - free of plastic! That's why we recover the ghost nets and upcycle them into new products with which you can make your own contribution to protecting our oceans. We rely on local, fair handcraft in our own workshops in Hamburg and Porto. We regularly donate to Healthy Seas to finance recovery missions and preventive measures and support many other projects to protect the oceans and marine animals.
our upcycling products
EVERY PRODUCT, ONE PIECE OF GHOST NET LESS
For most of our nets, we work closely with Healthy Seas , Ghost Diving and Nofir . Healthy Seas navigates recovery missions with Ghost Diving's 200 volunteer, specially trained divers worldwide, then Nofir cleans the nets in an environmentally friendly way using only water. We also receive nets from other organizations that actively recover nets, as well as discarded nets directly from fisheries. Then it's our turn! We upcycle the nets by hand into our products such as bracenets, dog leashes, keychains and rings. Each product is unique and a strong statement for the protection of our oceans.
joint impact
THE SEAS THANK YOU
Your Bracenet product is your contribution to protecting our oceans. It not only means one less piece of ghost net, but also helps to finance further recovery trips, set up diving teams worldwide and promote preventive measures. Together we also support many other great projects for marine conservation. For example, we are fighting with Sea Shepherd for the survival of porpoises in the Baltic Sea, with Shark Allies for shark populations worldwide and with the Charles Darwin Foundation for biodiversity around the Galapagos Islands and much more. A big thank you to you for that!
our togetherness
MORE THAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
We're not just concerned about the oceans. We're also concerned about those we fight for them with: our team, our partners, and all the people out there. Our employees can get involved anywhere in our office, and when it's not Corona, we cook together and throw a party now and then. We also work closely with Lebenshilfewerk Neumünster : The employees help us with individual product innovations and, for example, make the mesh handles for our Soulbottles . Last but not least, we support projects like the "Huckleberry Finn houseboat," which aims to give children with disabilities access to relaxation and experiences on the water.
circular economy
USE OLD THINGS INSTEAD OF WASTE NEW THINGS
We use resources that nobody wants anymore and that would otherwise threaten the oceans and ecosystems: We give ghost nets a new use. This makes us an example of a circular economy. At the same time, we are democratizing environmental protection because with our products you help to finance further ghost net recovery missions. When you wear a Bracenet on your wrist , you share our message with the world. It is a conversation starter, a statement and a daily companion for a more conscious lifestyle.
learn more about marine conservation
NOT ENOUGH YET?
If you've been interested in everything up to this point, you'll definitely want to stay informed about our projects! Why not follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter? You can find more insights and important know-how on our blog . And if you have any questions, just contact us at hello@bracenet.net