Podcasts about bureo

For our latest episode we headed across the pond to visit our partners at Bureo®, the company behind NetPlus® – an innovative recycled yarn made entirely of discarded fishing nets with complete traceability from collection through to recycled feedstock. Accompanied by our newest Ambassador, Katie McConnell, they welcomed us to their facility in California where we sat down with founder David Stover to discuss their journey over the last 10 years.Send us a text

Did you know that Patagonia – yes, that Patagonia – has a venture capital arm? If you didn’t, now you do. Tin Shed Ventures is the VC arm of Patagonia, and it invests in startups that provide, or aim to provide, systemic and globally scalable solutions for the land, water, air, and biodiversity. The fund is behind companies you may know, such as Trove, a popular e-commerce platform that many brands (including Patagonia) use for resale, and BUREO, the company that converts plastic fishnets into consumer products (like the brims of all Patagonia’s hats). The focus of Tin Shed Ventures is to support companies that can reduce the environmental impacts of Patagonia’s core apparel business. It invests a portion of Patagonia’s profits, so the fund has no outside investors, and it provides patient capital to give the businesses the time they need to grow. In this podcast, Asha Asha Agrawal, Managing Director of Tin Shed Ventures, provides background on the fund, including investment criteria and how it seeks to generate returns that benefit both the planet and Patagonia’s business. T The post Tin Shed Ventures Puts Patagonia’s Money Where Its Mouth Is appeared first on GearJunkie.

Today's guest is David Stover, the co-founder of a company called Bureo that I've been tracking for quite a while now. I first came across Bureo through Patagonia, which was an early backer and customer for its products. Now Bureo has brand partners across the apparel and outdoor space from YETI and REI to Rivian and Outerknown. And if you've listened to our episode with Outerknown co-founder John Moore, Outerknown goes the extra mile to partner with only responsible suppliers. As you'll hear David explain, Bureo is tackling the problem of discarded fishing nets in our oceans by working with local communities and governments to set up collection points and create end of life solutions to turn those discarded fishing nets into a recycled material suitable for everything from hat brims and skateboards to gear like rain jackets and Patagonia's iconic Baggies shorts. We start at the start, hearing about how David connected with the ocean as a child on Block Island and how maintaining that connection with the ocean helps him think clearly and operate efficiently as an entrepreneur. Despite some scary stats about the levels of virgin plastic production, I think you'll come away hopeful that there are people and companies taking steps to challenge some of the biggest problems our world is facing today. Links Bureo website - https://bureo.co/ Bureo on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bureo/ Bureo film from Patagonia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LHMZmtpZdg

Editor's Note: In this episode of the GearJunkie Podcast, we sit down with Bureo Co-Founder & CEO David Stover. Bureo converts plastic ocean pollution into recycled fibers and consumer goods, with major partners like Patagonia, Trek Bikes, Costa Sunglasses, and more. Whether he was surfing, free-diving, swimming, you name it — David Stover kept finding plastic trash in the ocean. As someone who loves the water, it hit him really hard. “You might just drive by it on the road,” the Bureo Co-founder and CEO said. But as a surfer, Stover often received a daily reminder of the worsening problem. “You take it really personally,” he added. Founded in 2013, Bureo is known for its unique approach to recycling and repurposing discarded fishing nets — a major contributor to ocean plastic — into high-quality products. The company's proprietary material, NetPlus, is currently being leveraged by major brands like Patagonia, Trek Bikes, Costa Sunglasses, and more in a variety of product offerings. (Photo/Bureo) A Mission is Born Stover grew up surrounded by water, on Block Island, Rhode Island. He never considered himself an environmentalist — Being a good steward to the land was just the right thing to do. But as he and his co-founders noticed more and more debris in the water, they felt the need to take action. “Once you start seeing plastic in the ocean, you can’t not see it,” he emphasized. After consulting with leading experts and absorbing many firsthand, anecdotal experiences, it became obvious to Stover that a significant percentage of waste was coming from the fishing industry — especially netting. (Photo/Bureo) Years later, Bureo is converting this type of waste into consumer products, like jackets, sunglasses, hats, shorts, even skateboards. In fact, the brand's first product was the Minnow Cruiser Skateboard. “We were building a niche skateboard company, and to us, that was exciting!” Stover remembered. “One of the biggest takeaways from our first products was that people were more on board with the mission of converting these nets into a product that they were necessarily skateboarding.” Slow and Steady Growth Bureo is on a much more modest growth trajectory than other successful young companies. In its first year, when the brand was just making skateboards, it converted 10 tons of material, which amounts to roughly half a shipping container of nets. A promising start, but not enough to make a serious dent in reducing global waste. However, by 2023, the company was converting over 1650 tons of material, roughly 80 to 100 shipping containers of plastic netting. The scale of the operation is growing exponentially, but it’s still just a drop in the bucket. (Photo/Bureo) As Stover explained, recycling alone will not solve the plastic problem, and a multi-pronged approach is needed, including reducing plastic consumption and exploring alternative materials.“We have to stop making as much new plastic as we’ve been making every year in order to really start winning that battle,” he reiterated. “Once these producers of new plastic are really focusing their investments and facilities and equipment on regenerative materials or alternative materials, the real change will come.” What is NetPlus? Bureo’s focus is on collecting and recycling fishing nets, but they also aim to address the end-of-life disposal of products made from these materials. To that end, in 2014, the fledgling company caught the eye of Patagonia, which took interest in the brand's early technology and mission. With the investment of the much-larger outdoor apparel company, Bureo committed to a path of product-oriented R&D that has culminated in Bureo's proprietary NetPlus material. (Photo/Bureo) Found in some of Patagonia's most popular products (Baggies, anyone?), NetPlus is made from 100% post-consumer recycled fishing nets. And while that seems impressive, the company also partners directly with fishing communities to collect their end-of-life fishing net waste. These partnerships divert a large flow of pollution away from these coastal communities, ultimately preventing substantial amounts of plastic from reaching the open ocean. Working For Change Stover still surfs often, and despite the overwhelming odds against his endeavor, he still feels optimistic during those sessions that he's on the right course and others will take up the cause in the future. Over the years, Bureo has made significant strides in achieving its mission. The company has successfully established partnerships with fishing communities, incentivizing the proper disposal of fishing nets and preventing them from becoming ocean waste. (Photo/Bureo) Moreover, Bureo has expanded its product line to include a variety of sustainable goods, such as skateboards, sunglasses, and other lifestyle products, all made from recycled materials. But more than those things, Bureo’s innovative approach has positioned the company as a trailblazer in the fight against ocean plastic pollution and providing a template for other, future companies that seek to get involved in the mission. “When it’s only doom and gloom — it’s really hard to see what difference you can make,” Stover concluded. ”But when you look at the youth … I see that generation taking [pollution] really personally. … that gives me hope that we’re inspiring the next generation to be more responsible.” The post You Can Use Fishing Nets To Make Rad Gear appeared first on GearJunkie.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #14: Life Below Water. In this episode you will hear from past conversations we've had with certified B Corps that are dedicating their businesses to our sustainable harvest and care for our oceans. In this episode is co-founder of Luke's Lobster Ben Conniff; Founder of United by Blue, Brian Linton; and co-founder of Bureo, Ben Kneppers.Additional Resources5 GYRESGLOBAL GHOST GEARPLASTIC POLLUTION COALITIONSURF RIDER FOUNDATIONHelpful Links from the United NationsUN SDG 14 OverviewUN SDG 14 Climate Action TargetsLinks to the Businesses Highlighted in this EpisodeLuke's LobsterA certified B Corp that is bringing its customers traceable, sustainable seafood to guests across the country in their shacks, grocery stores and shipping nationwide to doorsteps. They work directly with fishermen to hand pick the best seafood.  To hear our full conversation with Ben Conniff, check out episode 12 here.United by BlueA certified B Corp that is making sustainably-made clothing and tools for a plastic-free life. For every 1 product purchased, 1 pound of trash is removed from waterways. To hear our full conversation with Brian Linton, tune in to episode 18.BureoA certified B Corp making skateboards from 100% post-consumer recycled fishing nets. They have a recycling program in Chile, “Net Positiva”, which provides fishing net collection points to keep plastic fishing nets out of our oceans.  To hear our full conversation with Ben Kneppers, listen to the full episode 16.Dirigo Collective Website

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #12 is Responsible Consumption and Production. In this episode we share some tips for how to be a more responsible consumer, and share how one certified B Corp is working to make the promotional products industry more sustainable. You'll hear from Mel Hubner at Brand Fuel, Cullen Schwarz the CEO and Founder of DoneGood, and we're going to leave you with a quote from Ben Kneppers, co-founder of Bureo.Additional Learning Resources & Brand Mentions A Whopping 91 Percent of Plastic Isn't Recycled - National GeographicB Corp DirectoryConsumer Manifesto - complete pop up on website for free downloadEvrnu - a certified B Corp working towards a circular economyLomi in home composter - from certified b corp PelaScrapp App - a free app to help you know what to recycle UNH B impact ClinicHelpful Links from the United NationsUN SDG 12 Sustainable Cities and Communities TargetsUN SDG 12 OverviewWhat is the Triple Planetary Crisis? - from the UN Climate Change Links to the Businesses Highlighted in this EpisodeBrand FuelIs a certified B Corp brand merchandising agency with a focus on creating meaningful connections and sustainability. BureoTakes post consumer fishnets and is spinning up new innovative ways to upcycle by creating high quality goods for Patagonia and the rest of their brand partners. To hear our full conversation with co-founder Ben Kneppers, take a listen to episode 16.DoneGoodIs the Amazon of social good. They are an online market place where you can purchase everything from bed sheets, to barbecue sauce. They vet every vendor thoroughly to ensure they are doing right by people and planet.  To hear our full conversation with Cullen Schwarz, check out episode 55.Dirigo Collective Website

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/345 Presented By: Stonefly Nets, Dette Flies Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors Ted Manning is here to walk us behind the scenes of Patagonia -  the company that's in business to save our home planet. Patagonia, as we all know, is one of the biggest outdoor brands. But they're more than just a brand. They're the most responsible company in the world, leading the way in conservation. Ted tells us a brief history of Patagonia - how Yvon Chouinard started a nontraditional company and how it's going. We dig in detail into some of the projects they're running right now - gear repair facility, Action Works tool, awareness films, and more. Find out why they changed their company mission and why they want to actually slow down their growth. Show Notes with Ted Manning and Patagonia the Company 05:40 - The business unit that Ted represents is called, Rivers. They make the equipment, accessories, and all the fly fishing gear for Patagonia. Their commitment is to the communities that advocate and recreate rivers. 08:10 - They have a tool called, Action Works where you can go online and see the organizations that they're partnering with. You can also check if there are any projects nearby your area that you can take part in. 09:40 - We talk about Yvon Chouinard and his classic quote, "the more you know, the less you need" 10:50 - Ted tells us how they're running a responsible business in a nontraditional way 13:30 - Patagonia's mission now is "we're in business to save our home planet" 18:30 - We talk about the time when people didn't believe that producing pure organic cotton was possible 21:30 - They run a repair facility to minimize the impact of product creation 23:45 - We dig into the book Yvon wrote, Let My People Go Surfing - Ted tells the story of how Yvon started Patagonia 28:15 - Ted talks about why they're slowing down their growth 31:15 - There was a book written in the early 70s by an economic theorist named, EF Schumacher called, Small is Beautiful - a great resource to learn more about growth in a finite resource 38:55 - Patagonia just released a film called Tribal Waters in collaboration with Teton Gravity and Indifly - scroll below to watch that film 40:00 - Riverhorse Nakadate was on the podcast in episode 266 where we talked about the Boundary Waters 40:15 - Ted mentions a list of projects that they're focusing on today 46:50 - The Monster in Our Closet is another film that they released is a short look at what it cost when you buy a piece of apparel - the story behind the product and the reality of the impact that the global apparel business has including Patagonia - scroll down to watch that film 48:55 - Ted gives us a piece of advice on what we can do with the podcast to help with conservation work 50:28 - Ted makes an emphasis on repairing your gear and don't buy new stuff so much 53:30 - Patagonia has partnered with Bureo - they recycle old fishing nets and turn them into apparel 54:20 - They launched a new wading boot in Europe - built with Fitwell Conclusion with Ted and Patagonia the Company So there you go. Pretty powerful stuff today. I hope this episode inspired you to take some action today. That tool Action Works really works, you know. Just scan for nearby projects to find out how you can connect and contribute. Every little action combined makes a big difference and helps us achieve our goal to save the home planet. Do it for your children and your children's children, so that they may have a better world to live in when you're long gone. And remember.. don't buy new gear! Have them repaired instead (if still possible).  Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/345

Ben Kneppers is a Co-Founder of Bureo Inc., an emerging company operating between Chile and the California focused on creating innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Through the team’s initiative, ‘Net Positiva’, Bureo has created Chile’s first ever fishnet collection & recycling program. Net Positiva provides fisherman with environmentally sound disposal points, while Bureo receives highly recyclable raw materials to create innovative products that bring net positive solutions to the world. Find out more at www.bureo.coIf you dig this podcast, would you be please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It’s takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. All of my stuff is on Thiermann.substack.comConnect with me on Instagram | Twitter | YouTubeBrought to you by Santa Cruz Medicinals and RPM Training.RPM Training is a Norcal based active lifestyle brand founded on the idea that legit, purposeful functional training is the foundation of a truly full, adventurous life. I love their workout equipment and use it daily. Use the code KYLETMAN at checkout and get 10% off any order. Santa Cruz Medicinals CBD has supported this podcast from day one. Their founder actually convinced me to start the podcast! They make a range of potent CBD products and my personal favorite is the Peppermint Tincture, which I use most nights before before I go to bed. Use the code KYLE10 at checkout, and get 10% off any order. Sore muscles, be gone!Connect with me on Instagram | Twitter | YouTubeSend voice memos to: info@kyle.surf Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Ben Kneppers is a Co-Founder of Bureo Inc., an emerging company operating between Chile and the California focused on creating innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Through the team's initiative, ‘Net Positiva', Bureo has created Chile's first ever fishnet collection & recycling program. Net Positiva provides fisherman with environmentally sound disposal points, while Bureo receives highly recyclable raw materials to create innovative products that bring net positive solutions to the world. Find out more at www.bureo.coIf you dig this podcast, would you be please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It's takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. All of my stuff is on Thiermann.substack.comConnect with me on Instagram | Twitter | YouTubeBrought to you by Santa Cruz Medicinals and RPM Training.RPM Training is a Norcal based active lifestyle brand founded on the idea that legit, purposeful functional training is the foundation of a truly full, adventurous life. I love their workout equipment and use it daily. Use the code KYLETMAN at checkout and get 10% off any order. Santa Cruz Medicinals CBD has supported this podcast from day one. Their founder actually convinced me to start the podcast! They make a range of potent CBD products and my personal favorite is the Peppermint Tincture, which I use most nights before before I go to bed. Use the code KYLE10 at checkout, and get 10% off any order. Sore muscles, be gone!Connect with me on Instagram | Twitter | YouTubeSend voice memos to: info@kyle.surf Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/272 Evan Russell is on the podcast to share the Costa story and help us understand how to find the right pair of glasses.   We find out which type of Costa sunglasses is best for salt and fresh water fishing, the technology behind these polarized sunglasses, and how choosing the right sunglasses enhances your outdoor experience. We dig into the history of Costa, how it was founded and became known for its unique polarized technology - plus the new Untangled Series which are made out of recycled fishing nets. Show Notes:  Polarized Sunglasses for Fly Fishing with Evan Russell 04:30 - Evan talks about when he worked for Bonnier Corporation and Yeti 05:37 - Back in the day, Evan fishes for Redfish in the Mosquito Lagoon 05:53 - Steve Davis was on the podcast at WFS 270 07:00 - Costa was founded in 1983 by Ray Ferguson who was an avid fisherman - 2023 will be Costa's 40th anniversary 07:27 - In the early 2000s, Costa became known for its 580 glass lense 08:34 - 580 technology cuts out light that doesn't enhance your optical clarity 09:12 - The chart that explains the color spectrum and how the light is cut out 10:34 - In 2019, Costa merged with Luxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Persol 12:47 - A lot of Costa's products are made in the USA - mainly California 13:56 - Evan recommends starting with frames when choosing your glasses/sunglasses and explains why 15:00 - Costa's number 1 selling frame right now is the Reefton 16:09 - Evan picks glass than plastic lense when fishing 17:02 - The Polly (the 580p - plastic) is more impact resistant, lighter, and cheaper 17:41 - Costa's most popular lenses are amber-based like the green mirror, amber no mirror, copper silver mirror - the green mirror works great for fishing in general 18:13 - Dave used a pair of amber sunglasses for years - Suncloud brand 22:03 - What makes the glasses more expensive 22:40 - Costa recently launched Untangled 2.0 where they use recycled fishing nets as the plastic material for their polarized sunglasses and is one of their cheapest offerings 23:09 - Bureo offers a program where fishermen can turn in their old fishing nets for recycling 24:10 - Evan recommends the 8-based frame 28:22 - Article on how to choose sunglasses 31:30 - Evan talks about the difference between Yeti and Costa in terms of community marketing and their goals 34:59 - Community Marketing explained 39:42 - Evan's tip for startup companies trying to introduce their brand to the industry 41:03 - Evan commends Chewy.com for its excellent customer service and marketing 48:25 - We've done an episode about Canyon Coolers at WFS 211 50:56 - Evan talks about Captains for Clean Waters and the good stuff they have going - Costa sponsors them 55:18 - Evan and the Costa team plans to go to the Bahamas to shoot for their spring products 55:42 - Visit CostaDelmar.com to get a pair of Costa polarized sunglasses Polarized Sunglasses for Fly Fishing Conclusion with Evan Russell Evan and I talked about Costa's best Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing, the technology behind its features, and how the right sunglasses enhance your outdoor experience. What type of sunglasses do you use for fishing or outdoor activities? Let me know in the comments. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/272

(1:11) - How Patagonia is saving the oceans, one hat at a time

` Episode Highlights: Hear how Bureo expanded their reach and mission by partnering with brands like Costa Sunglasses and Patagonia  Dave Stover and Kevin Ahearn share their founding story of Bureo and their clear mission of ending net pollution in the oceans As consumers continue to align with brands that share their core values, it's more important now than ever for specialty businesses and brands to be transparent about their initiatives and efforts when it comes to sustainability   Description:   As part of our Channel Mastery series featuring brands and businesses that are focused on sustainability, we are elated to introduce the team from Bureo, Dave Stover and Kevin Ahearn. Bureo is on a mission to end fishing net pollution in our oceans and shares their story behind their passion throughout the episode.    Dave and Kevin offer insight into their interesting journey to gain B-corp status, their founding story and the development of their partnerships like Patagonia and Costa, which has increased their reach tenfold.    Bureo is absolutely standing up to the challenge of serving consumers who are aligned with brands and businesses that share common values to them. Kevin Ahearn is one of the three co-founders of Bureo Inc.  Growing up in a family of Ocean lovers, Kevin took to surfing at an early age with his Dad and twin brother Brian.  The importance of "protecting the places you love" was a lesson ingrained in the brothers at an early age and something Kevin has carried throughout his life and into his professional career at Bureo.  He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and leads, research and development, recycling supply chain and material integration efforts at Bureo.    David Stover is a Co-Founder of Bureo Inc, an emerging company focused on developing innovative solutions to recycle discarded fishing nets. An avid surfer and environmental enthusiast, David left behind a career in corporate finance when his global travels led him to the issues facing our ocean today. Currently residing in Ventura California, David splits time between Chile and the US and is actively involved in Bureo's day-to-day operations alongside the broader mission to prevent plastic pollution in our oceans.

LA-based Bureo started as many companies do; with an opportunity and an idea. The opportunity was a start-up program in Chile, and the idea was a skateboard made from recycled fishing nets. While the Bureo team is still on the ground in Chile, and you can still buy one of those skateboards, a lot has changed since 2013 when David and his partners wrote that first business plan. They've recycled millions of tons of nets, they've partnered with Patagonia to develop new fabrics and products, and they are branching out well beyond the borders of Chile. This is a story of small steps, community engagement and creative thinking coming together to make a big impact.

Ben Kneppers is a Co-Founder of Bureo Inc., an emerging company operating between Chile and the California focused on creating innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Through the team’s initiative, ‘Net Positiva’, Bureo has created Chile’s first ever fishnet collection & recycling program. Net Positiva provides fisherman with environmentally sound disposal points, while Bureo receives highly recyclable raw materials to create innovative products that bring net positive solutions to the world. Find out more at www.bureo.co   If you dig this podcast, would you be please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It’s takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. Learn about my work at kyle.surf Brought to you by the On Time and Water, Santa Cruz Medicinals, and RPM Training. Read On Time and Water RPM Training is a Norcal based active lifestyle brand founded on the idea that legit, purposeful functional training is the foundation of a truly full, adventurous life. I love their workout equipment and use it daily. Use the code KYLE10 at checkout and get 10% off any order. Santa Cruz Medicinals CBD has supported this podcast from day one. Their founder actually convinced me to start the podcast! They make a range of potent CBD products and my personal favorite is the Peppermint Tincture, which I use most nights before before I go to bed. Use the code KYLE10 at checkout, and get 10% off any order. Sore muscles, be gone! Please consider supporting my work on Patreon. If you are financially strap]ped, just keep listening and give lots of high-fives. That’s all the payment I need. Connect with Kyle on Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Contact: info@kyle.surf The Motherfucker Awards Intro music by Nashe Howe “Life moves pretty fast ... if you don't look around once and a while, you could miss it.” - Ferris Buller

Patagonia uses Bureo plastic for all of their hat brims because Bureo sources their plastic from discarded fishing nets that would otherwise be polluting our oceans.  Fishing nets are among the most dangerous plastic in our oceans, and thanks to Bureo, they've saved 3.2 million pounds of it from living on the ocean floor. Tune in to learn how Bureo got started and about some of the important nuances of recycling.Support the show (http://responsiblydifferent.com)

18 billion pounds of plastic enter our oceans each year, a harrowing fact that only accounts for a portion of our planet's pollution crisis. Northeastern innovators are tackling this problem to create sustainable solutions for cleaner oceans. Bureo, an emerging B-Corp, has created a program to recycle fishing nets into a NetPlus™ material, used in products by Patagonia and other partner companies.    Join the conversation to fight plastic pollution with Ben Kneppers, E'07, co-founder and COO of Bureo Inc., and Maarten Eenkema van Dijk, E'14, MS'15, operations manager for Van Dyk Recycling Solutions. This interview was recorded at a virtual event hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations. 

Solving the ocean plastic pollution won’t be easy but we have no choice since the ocean is littered with million metric tons of plastics every single year. This problem is a great threat to all the marine species and their habitats. Everyone can do something to reduce the amount of plastic that enters the ocean and our guest for today is contributing in reducing the plastic waste that’s being thrown at the sea. Join me in this episode as I interview Bureo’s co-founder and CEO, David Stover! Bureo, Inc., is a certified B-Corp with a mission to end fishing net pollution to help protect our ocean! Find out how discarded fishing nets are turned into the most sustainable skateboards and sunglasses!   In this Episode, We Discuss: How Bureo started Intentional recycling Stats on why fishing nets are considered the most harmful ocean plastics The importance of having a disposal system in every fishing ports Ocean cleanups and tackling the source of plastic pollution Plastic recycling and greenwashing David and Bureo’s recycling process What is ocean plastics? Activism and why it’s needed to break into people’s and companies mindset Why being a surfer matters to David and what it entails for his business   Follow David Stover: Bureo Inc LinkedIn Twitter --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox  

In our second episode, Verda and Jon talk with David Stover, one of the founders of Bureo, a Ventura, California company that takes discarded fishing nets, cleans them and recycles them into nylon pellets which are then manufactured into products. We'll talk about ghost fishing, and what a calamity that is, we'll also talk about recycling and the inevitable need to use materials that fit into the circular economy. David doesn't blame plastic for our woes, he blames our expectation that we can use plastic without consequence. As David says, "We need to design our way out of this." So, designers...can we? Can we, as a design community start making hard decisions that move the needle? Hold a piece of plastic in your hand and ask yourself "What will happen to this when I'm done with it? When I throw it away, where do I think it will go?" We need to break some dishes here!

"La pasión y la dedicación hacen parte de todos tus resultados" @majolove.p

Marine pollution is a massive issue that’s plaguing our planet. Through Trek’s partnership with the NextWave consortium, we were introduced to Bureo, a company that recycles hundreds of thousands of tons of fishing nets from the ocean. On this episode, we’ll talk to Bureo’s founder, David Stover, to discuss the massive problem of ocean pollution and learn what we can do about it. We’ll tell Bureo’s story, discuss how plastics threaten the Earth’s fragile ecosystems, and unpack ways both companies and consumers alike can reduce waste and give Mother Nature the helping hand she deserves.

Episode Notes Colin has a chat a co-founder of Bureo, Ben Kneppers. Bureo empowers South American fishing towns by purchasing fishing nets, that would otherwise be cut loose into the ocean, to be processed and recycled into new products! If you want to learn more be sure to checkout our blog post at www.aldalifestyle.com/blog/bureo-review CHECK THEM OUT: Website: https://Bureo.com Instagram: @bureo CHECK US OUT: Website: https://aldalifestyle.com Instagram: @aldalifestyle Everyone with a passion has a story. Especially when it comes to the environment. On the Protect Your Wild Podcast, our mission is to talk to people that have made a career because of the outdoors! Some have built a brand from the ground up, others forged a career in outdoor sports but we hope to talk to people in the nonprofit world, scientists and more!

Fabian talks with a founder who is doing his part in keeping the ocean clean, and he's doing it through his brand that is selling skateboards, sunglasses, surfboard fins, and Jenga games. Ben Kneppers is a co-founder of Bureo, an emerging B Corp focused on creating innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Through the team's initiative, Net Positiva, Bureo has created Chile's first ever fishnet collection and recycling program. Net Positiva provides fishermen with an environmentally sound end-of-life solution for their fishing gear, while Bureo receives highly recyclable raw materials to create innovative products that bring net positive solutions to the world. Remarkable in many ways. Ben shares his insights on how to get strangers to believe in and act upon your vision, how Patagonia got involved with his brand, how collaboration is part of his brand's success story, all the way how to score a major PR story on CBS Evening News without spending a dime and so much more. You can dive into the Bureo universe via their site or Instagram account. ________________Full Transcript: F Geyrhalter:                 Welcome to Hitting the Mark. Today, we are moving from skiing and snowboarding to surfing and skating, which is, by sheer timing, coincidence, but it worked out rather swimmingly, as we are transitioning into summer here in Los Angeles. Many of you noted I'm actually overlooking the ocean right now while recording every one of these sessions. I'm very fortunate to live and work by and frequently play in the ocean. On today's show, we welcome a founder who is doing his part in keeping the ocean clean, and he's doing it through his brand that is selling skateboards, sunglasses, surfboard fins, and Jenga games. Ben Kneppers is a co-founder of Bureo, an emerging B Corp focused on creating innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Through the team's initiative, Net Positiva, Bureo has created Chile's first ever fishnet collection and recycling program. Net Positiva provides fishermen with an environmentally sound end-of-life solution for their fishing gear, while Bureo receives highly recyclable raw materials to create innovative products that bring net positive solutions to the world. Remarkable stuff, and I cannot wait to get into it. With that being said, welcome, Ben. B Kneppers:                  Thank you so much. So happy to be here, and thanks for inviting me. F Geyrhalter:                 Oh. Absolutely. Hey, it's a big pleasure. Where are you calling in from today? You're an international traveler. Where are you now? B Kneppers:                  I am ... Right now, I'm in São Paulo, Brazil, so this is actually kind of home base for me at the moment. I know it's a little complicated, us operating in Chile, but we're dramatically growing, and ... as is my family, so that's brought me to São Paulo. F Geyrhalter:                 Oh. That's beautiful, and how did it all get started? I mean, you're from Southern California originally, right? B Kneppers:                  Actually, no. I'm actually from New England. I grew up in Southern Massachusetts, but the- F Geyrhalter:                 Okay. Okay. B Kneppers:                  Yeah. F Geyrhalter:                 You- B Kneppers:                  It's been a pretty big whirlwind. F Geyrhalter:                 Yeah. Looking at your profile, I mean, you worked everywhere, I mean, from New Zealand, Australia, Boston, Southern California, and, you know. It seems like you guys ... How did you meet? I think it's you and two other co-founders, right? B Kneppers:                  Yep. That's right. David and Kevin, and then, soon after, we brought on Greg, which was a childhood friend of Dave's. We actually all, funny enough, we all grew up in New England, which is the Northeast of the US, and ... but we actually first, all three of us connected on the other side of the world in the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. I was working as a environmental consultant, had a spare room in the apartment I was renting, and Dave moved in, continuing his career as a financial consultant. Then, his really good friend, Kevin, from engineering school was doing a surf trip around the world with his brother, Brian, and came through Australia, as well. Although we grew up fairly close by, we actually met for the first time together on the other side of the world. F Geyrhalter:                 Then, at some point, you guys must have gone surfing, and you started thinking about this idea of creating change. B Kneppers:                  Yeah. That's ... That hits it right on the mark pretty well. I mean, we really, obviously, just connected immediately over surfing and just enjoying the ocean environment, which you really can appreciate in Australia, and just spent ... We all spent our free time in that space. Kevin and David are really avid surfers, so they take it to a whole nother level than me. I just, personally, am, I'm someone that's always worked in sustainability and the environment and do appreciate a good surf when it's a nice, fun three to four foot day. F Geyrhalter:                 When did that idea spark? You guys are all surfing. Obviously, you come from the sustainability background, so it was just meant to happen, but what was that moment when you guys just kind of like put one and one together, and tell us a little bit about what happened after that time? B Kneppers:                  Yeah. I mean, it's pretty crazy to look back and see how long ago it is now, but I would say back in, probably, 2011, 12, something along those lines, when we first met, the free days we had were basically just spent at the beach, surfing all day and then having a few beers at night. Then, the days working were very long, and I would regularly see Dave coming home around midnight from the office. When we did have those late night drinks, we kind of just connected on this idea that there's ... what if we were to take all of these interesting skillsets we had ... Dave was working in finance. Kevin was working in engineering design at Boeing, and I was working in sustainability consulting. ... and combine them into something we're really passionate about. They always really appreciated how I got to do that with my consulting work, but quite honestly, I wasn't really seeing it pay off enough, because it was just writing reports and doing research. I wasn't really seeing that real change that really got me into that field. Over those late night beers back in 2011, I would say, we just thought, "What if we could combine those skills and do something more meaningful?" We ... As you do, you just have those conversations, and life goes on. What mine led to is an opportunity to work ... continue my career as a sustainability consultant in Santiago, Chile, where I was continuing in that space, and I came to this amazing country that was just so rich with natural environment, still very much untouched, but also a really great support system for entrepreneurs. I really not ... never thought of myself as being one, but looking at that space, and I just relayed that back to David and Kevin and saying, "Remember those talks we had all that time ago? Well, here's a space where we could really do something with it." There was a program called Start-Up Chile, and it's basically one of the best programs you can find globally to get a startup off the ground, where you submit a pretty straightforward application. If you get accepted, you get seed funding, visas to come to Chile, offices, support network to get your business off the ground. The next application was in six months, so we just put it onto ourselves to come up with some innovative idea that was really going to captivate that passion for the ocean environment and complement something meaningful with these skillsets that we've all gained in very unique areas. F Geyrhalter:                 That's pretty funny. So first it was the opportunity. Then, there came the idea. B Kneppers:                  Yes. Yeah. You can definitely say that. I mean, it all starts with the passion, of course. F Geyrhalter:                 Of course. Yeah. B Kneppers:                  I think that's the most important thing, but it certainly went that way. Yeah. F Geyrhalter:                 Then, obviously, you got accepted, and how was the journey from that idea on paper to actually hustling and getting these fishermen involved, and the community involved, and creating this entire chain of events until you actually have plastic come out on the other side that you can reuse. I mean, it's a pretty complex process, when you think about it, but when I watch your videos on Vimeo, it seems so easy. It's like you pop it in, and then out comes the skateboard. Right? B Kneppers:                  Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that was the beauty of it, right, is that it was such a idea that anyone can get around their head. You collect these fishing nets that can become a big pollution in the ocean. Instead, let's collect them, let's melt them down, and let's make new stuff out of them. I mean, it makes perfect sense. Right? But the reality is- F Geyrhalter:                 So easy. So easy. B Kneppers:                  Yeah. It's so easy. Why hasn't anyone else done it yet? The reality is is that was great to have such a clear vision, but, of course, the reality of getting something accomplished, especially in a new country with a different culture than you're accustomed to, different regulations, different supply chain requirements, figuring it all out from scratch, especially from creating an entirely new supply chain that's never existed before, it was an immense challenge, and I ... definitely something we should probably write a book about someday, because it was just unreal. But at the end of it all, what really was the breakthrough was when you build the strong relationships with these people. A lot of the time, especially in communities that are considered maybe a bit underserved, when we're in, in our case, a lot of these artisanal fishing communities, they do get, actually, a fair amount of people coming through and saying, "We want to do this and that" and promising them a lot, and especially with them being foreigners. Then, they get ... They've gotten their heart broken a few times, so they're a bit hesitant to the foreigner coming in and saying they're going to save the day. It was actually the commitment we showed. It was just the three of us. We didn't have the money to employ anybody to start, and we wanted to know the process. It was just the three of us collecting, scrubbing down these nets, cleaning them, packing them, getting them sent to the recycler. I think it was when we showed, day-in and day-out, that we were turning up and actually doing what we said we were going to do, we got a lot stronger relationships, and then the big breakthrough was when we came back with those first products, when we showed the skateboard made from their once fishing net trash, they ... It was just a huge breakthrough, and that was a really exciting moment where we got a lot more momentum for the project and we could see this thing really take hold. F Geyrhalter:                 How does it work with the fishermen? I mean, how do they get involved? Do they literally take their nets out of the boat, and then they clean it themselves, and they just put it into, basically, your own version of recycling bags? B Kneppers:                  Yeah. I mean, it started that way, as something as straightforward as that, but really, what we got to as a much more effective route is to have every community have a representative, a community collection manager, and then have every large fishery work directly with our regional collection manager. Every community or every fishery is kind of these sources of nets, where we do a launch. We do a big campaign to make people aware that, "Your end-of-life nets can now go through our program, so don't discard them." In the case of a low income artisanal fisherman, we compensate them directly, per kilo, for that effort of returning the nets, and it incentivizes them to not discard them in the environment. Then, in the case of these large commercial fisheries that would otherwise be having to, in some case, find a reuse market for them, but, in general, you'd have to pay to send this to a landfill, and what we do in return is we provide this free service to donate the nets to us. Then, for every kilo of net donated, we finance local community projects that we create with them to benefit the greater area, the greater community. It's been a really effective model, because it's, as we say, created a truly net positive impact. We're preventing this waste. We're employing local people, and we're generating funds to address the greater issues of each area, each community with the money we can generate from the nets. But the deeper thing is that you need to have change in order to truly prevent people from discarding waste, is no longer having them see it as waste anymore. You're never going to throw a dollar bill on the ground, because you know it's worth something, so the last thing that's going to be polluting the environment is most likely going to be dollar bills, because it's worth something. When we can make the connection to these people and cause a behavior change to no longer see it as a waste material, but instead as a resource, and that's where we can really ensure that this is not going to end up in the environment anymore, because there's only so far we can take it with our effort, from what ends up in the ocean. It actually has a lot to do more with that behavior change aspect to truly prevent all of it from ending up in there. F Geyrhalter:                 How did you create that method? Was it something that ... I mean, there's other companies that do similar processes. Did you learn from them, or did you just kind of figure it out as you were doing it? B Kneppers:                  It was a pretty organic process. World Wildlife Fund Chile helped shape that plan very early on in our operation, and we also seeked a lot of advice from other people in the fishing industry to get guidance on how to most effectively carry that out into that cultural, that context. We did also get a really great source of inspiration from what I think is probably the pioneers of this space, being the Net-Works program, and that's run through the Zoological Society of London. That ... I actually was given ... They've set up this program, very similar program to collect nets for recycling in Asia, and I had the pleasure of going and visiting their operations in ... about two years ago in the Philippines, and it was ... As much as I could understand from them, it was actually really remarkable, the intricate details of their operation, how similar it was to what we eventually came up with. That was a great exchange of ideas for both of us, to share what we were doing differently and how one another could improve on them. F Geyrhalter:                 Very cool. Talking about inspirations, how did your work with Patagonia come about? A lot of us have mentors, but it sounds like your mentor is a brand, and one of the most admired brands out there, at least in my eyes. How did that amazing relationship get on its way? Was it through the investment arm, Tin Shed Ventures? B Kneppers:                  It was. It was. I mean, we always had Patagonia as our benchmark, as our guiding light for a authentic, truly mission-driven company, trying to create the most sustainable product as well as being a great quality product, so it just hit all the boxes for us on what we wanted to try to achieve as a brand in our own context. But the way it went about is all the way back from when we applied for that first grant in Chile, one of the advice we got from somebody in the program was, "It would be really good, you guys creating a consumer product, to have someone from the retail space to really recommend that ... write a letter of recommendation to support this." All the way back then, we got to connect with Patagonia, tell them what we were about, what we were planning on doing, and just got such positive feedback and support and guidance from them. We just thought it was going to be left at that, "Thanks for the letter of recommendation. That's great." We were aware of their Tin Shed Venture fund, which is ... It's their arm of Patagonia that provides seed funding investments into early stage startups that are also having this shared value effort to benefit the environment and society, and ... but we always thought we were just way to small for something like that. Coincidentally, we got a piece in the CBS Evening News, out of anything, and it just happened to be watched by the manager of that fund. He reached out to us. It actually didn't really have anything to do with the other relationships we already had. We had a sit-down meeting, and the ... told them what we were planning on doing in a very humble way compared to them, and the rest is history. They've been our major ... our main investor and huge supporter for us to get to where we ... we're on path now today. F Geyrhalter:                 In a way, that PR piece on CBS, that actually, in the end, turned you into a real brand. Right? I mean, that was kind of like the beginning of the entire journey, in a way, or was it Patagonia? B Kneppers:                  Absolutely. Yeah. F Geyrhalter:                 It was both. It was ... One fed the other very quickly. B Kneppers:                  Yeah, and the whole way that piece went out was actually really ... I think it was a ... I have to say that it was pretty clever how we came up with getting on CBS Evening News and some other press outlets that we got into so early on. F Geyrhalter:                 Share. Share. B Kneppers:                  When we ... Everything ... After we had that, we had the six month Start-Up Chile program, all of that was geared towards us having the first working product being our first skateboard made from recycled fishing nets, and that was going to all lead into a Kickstarter campaign, because that was really going to finance the first production run and get us to keep going, quite frankly, because we're ... We didn't have any more funds from the Start-Up Chile grant. When we thought of the Kickstarter, we needed to get publicity. One of the really clever things we figured out was, "Okay. We obviously don't have any big marketing budget, but who, in their best interest, wants to see us succeed and promote our kind of effort that we're doing here?" We started to think of people that were in our networks that were also along for this ride. There were the straightforward ones like our skateboard wheel manufacture and truck manufacturer that was going to be paired with this really unique skateboard. Obviously, the Start-Up Chile program wanted to promote us, so we got some great press in Chile. Then, it even went as far as we followed up with our universities that we did our undergraduate engineering degrees, and one of them, mine, Northeastern University in Boston, they had a grant program for startups coming out of the university, as well. They supported us early on, so when we reached out to them saying, "Hey. We finally made it. We're launching this," they turned their ... the university's big budget PR firm to run with our story. Lo and behold, that got us the piece on CBS Evening News, which is national news coverage in the United States. Then, that was what led to the Patagonia investment director to see our story. F Geyrhalter:                 You know, that's ... I so love this, because this is ... I don't know what episode this is now, maybe 12 or so, but that is a story that is just recurring. Right? People, at some point, when they don't have the money to spend on a PR agency, they just go to LinkedIn, and they look at who they're connected with, and they start hustling, or they start connecting with people where they think they might enjoy the story. That's how it works, but it's remarkable. It's really remarkable. B Kneppers:                  Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. F Geyrhalter:                 I saw that you're part of the 1% for the Planet network, which we were what must have been one of the first 10 members or so. I recall there was Jack Johnson, and then there was my former design agency, Geyrhalter Design, and it was really, really cool. It's a mighty, mighty long time ago, but you're also a benefit corporation, and many of my listeners must be interested in forming a B Corp since I keep preaching about cost and belief and transparency and solidarity. But can you share a little bit about how it works and if it was difficult to create a B Corp, or if it's also tough to keep it up throughout the years? B Kneppers:                  Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, so first off, what B Corp is really about is recognizing companies that truly are benefits corporations, that are beyond just meeting their economic bottom line, but also having this, at the same point, value for the environment and society. It sounds intimidating, but actually, they have really great resources that can get you right into it. I believe, last I checked, they had this really wonderful 15, 20 minute questionnaire that you can just answer right on their website that can already give you a really good snapshot of how on track you are with your company, potential of achieving B Corp certification, but ... I would highly recommend starting there, because really, what it's about is you get this thing that I think people are becoming more and more aware of called green rush, which is just these blanket environmental statements, "This is an environmentally friendly product. It's a sustainable product." What does that actually mean? What you really need to do is have someone, independently, third party, verify those claims, and especially in this environmental space, it's very open-ended. What B Corp does is, for the consumer, it lets you know this company that has a B Corp label is a environmentally and socially responsible company, and the other benefit is if you are a company that says, "We want to become a more environmentally and socially conscious and responsible company," it's your guide to achieving that. It's not a very expensive process to go through, and at the very least, you're going to have ... You're going to get a lot of insight on what your company can improve, and a lot of those things can end up being cost-saving, as well, so I highly, highly recommend checking it out. At the very least, take 15, 20 minutes of your day to try the survey and go through it, and what it can do is open up brand new markets to you, create a whole new recognition for your brand ... F Geyrhalter:                 For sure. Yep. B Kneppers:                  ... and do good for the planet, which we need so bad right now. F Geyrhalter:                 Amen. Yes. B Kneppers:                  That's my case for B Corp. F Geyrhalter:                 Thank you. I think that was something that everyone had to hear, because it sounds like a process and like ... Everyone is afraid of those kind of things. I mean, you know. It feels a little bit like it's setting up a company, it's a legality, and it's a big deal, but people need it. People seek B Corps out these days. Especially when you're trying to staff up, you're going to have a much, much easier way to find the next generation to be excited about your company, so I absolutely recommend it, too. Your brand was born out of collaboration. Right? It actually requires collaboration in so many ways, and you actively collaborate with other brands, from the game brand Jenga to sunglass brand Costa and bike brand Trek, which we all know, and office furniture darling Humanscale. This is such a logical path you took and one that can continuously expand your brand and gain you fans along the way. What's next for Bureo? What exciting projects do you have in the pipeline? What can you reveal? B Kneppers:                  Well, that's ... That is the problem. Right? It's ... I'll have to keep to pretty general terms, but we always have ... We've got a lot of pretty exciting announcements right around the corner. Unfortunately, a lot of those are under NDA, so ... F Geyrhalter:                 We're not at the corner yet. B Kneppers:                  Yes. Yes. F Geyrhalter:                 Well, you'll check ... B Kneppers:                  But- F Geyrhalter:                 You'll check back with us, then. B Kneppers:                  Absolutely, but, I mean, overall, I mean, that model is really ... That collaboration model has really been what's been working so well for us, and it's something that, again, just kind of happened organically. We were intimidated with the idea, starting out, obviously, to be a raw material supplier, because we were just this small idea that we wanted to prove first, so what better way to prove this material than make a skateboard that's a ... It's a product that needs high level of durability and performance. Then, the next thing we came out with with the same plastic from was sunglasses that is a very precise, detailed product that also has a very special performance characteristics. From there, it was almost our case study for showing the potential applications of this material, and ... But at the same time, we were seeing that ... Working as a small business, we were getting access to far more fishing nets than we could sell through our small line of products, so this whole collaborative effort has just fit perfectly in with what we're passionate about, which is ... We're much more passionate about getting as many communities on board with our program, preventing this waste, providing funds for local environmental projects, and just, overall, creating a really positive solution to this material rather than how we started out, which was, "How many skateboards can we sell in a month?" That was a little bit less in our mindset than, "Let's make a really big impact." By collaborating with these like-minded brands that share our same values and are in full support of what we're trying to achieve, it allows us to stay focused on that part and grow as much as we can, and that's exactly what we're doing. We just launched in Peru, where we're ... now have Net Positiva running in partnership with World Wildlife Fund Peru. I just got back from Argentina and Uruguay. We're planning to launch there by middle of this year, and really, what we're on track to do is over 1,000 tons of nets annually that can generate a heck of a lot of money for community projects and local employment while we're doing it. F Geyrhalter:                 That's so amazing. Congratulations. That's a pretty big footprint that you're leaving at this point. I read just last night ... It was funny. I read a story about This Bar Saves Lives, which seems like a great company with an unfortunate brand name, but what one of the founders said is he said, "We're a mission with a company, not a company with a mission." I thought that was really, really cool, and it seems like that's a little bit in the way that you operate, that you give the company a whole lot of thought, but it's so much about collaboration, just spreading it. I'm wondering, since you did not want to get too deeply into what's next for you as far as the next collaboration, what is the ultimate vision for your brand? How are you guys working your way to fulfilling that mission day-in, day-out to really make this huge impact, and how huge is that impact? What's your 10 year plan? What do you want to achieve? B Kneppers:                  I mean, ultimately, what we want to achieve is become, and I can define this further if this is a foreign term, but we want to become the circular economy solution for the fishing net industry, the fishing industry, the fishing net industry. Basically, every fishing net that comes offline, that no longer has a useful life, we can then collect, transform into positive products, and that can continue carrying on this ... within this circular economy. That's ultimately what we want to do, take it global, every fishing net that comes online. This idea of discarding in the net just doesn't make any sense anymore, and we practically find this really positive solution for that raw material. F Geyrhalter:                 That's when net positive comes into play, which, by the way, is such a cool term. Talking about terms and names, tell us the story behind the name. I already know, since I watched your documentary last night, so I won't spoil anything. B Kneppers:                  Sure. I mean, there's even a little funny backstory I'll try to do my best to be quick with, but when we started, we wanted to just go with the skateboard, and the first idea was, "Let's make a fish-shaped skateboard, make the connection with the fishing nets." When I grew up in New England, a common small fish, this being a small designed skateboard, the first board, I said, "Let's name it the Minnow, and let's name it Minnow Skateboards," the company, as it's just starting out as a skateboard company. I was living in Chile at the time, sharing this whole idea of the business with all my Chilean friends, and all my buddies were like, "No." I was like, "What do you mean? Chileans have a lot of slang, and it just so happens, the slang I was familiar with was mina is the female version of a very attractive girl, and the masculine version of it happens to be very similar to minnow. It's mino. They were basically saying, "If you were to name your company Mino, it would be like the attractive man skateboard." That didn't really translate well, and so we went back to the drawing board. We just looked at all these different words in there, and it was, again, a Chilean friend that introduced me to this beautiful word from the native Chilean language, from the Mapuche people, their language, Mapudungun, which is bureo, was the word, which means waves. Bureo, being this fun, bouncy word, not the easiest to pronounce, to be fair, but interesting, and the ... Reflecting on it, it just was so symbolic of what we were trying to do. It was ... F Geyrhalter:                 Totally. B Kneppers:                  Just as a wave starts with this small disturbance in the ocean, we were these three gringos in Chile with really nothing to offer other than this passionate idea we had, but, just as a wave, that small disturbance, with time and energy, can become this great force of nature. That's really what we see with Bureo, is, in these collaborations and all this effort, this movement we're trying to do with the fishing industry globally, is to become this great force of change that can truly transform this thing that was once a small thought into a massive reality. F Geyrhalter:                 Absolutely. Absolutely. No. It's a great, great name, and I love the story behind it. You worked so hard on creating your brand, I mean, from the imagery used, amazingly produced videos that you craft, and all the ways to all the names that you trademark. What does branding mean to an organization like yours, or to you personally? B Kneppers:                  Yeah. I mean, it means a lot to hear that ... hear you say that, from someone that works in this space so heavily. I mean, to be honest, we were three mechanical engineer undergrads, so we had no real background in this space, but what we started to see was, on one side, people really connect with our effort and our intentions. I mean, there were so many things that you would try to ... you would think mean nothing at the time and just get in the way, and we're so glad we stayed true to our value sets early on and when it came to traceability and transparency and doing things as authentically and as responsible as possible. It all just managed to carry through what we've become today, and that ultimately is, at the end of the day, the most valuable thing we can do, is create a really strong brand, because none of our stuff is patented. Anybody can go out and collect fishing nets and recycle it and make a skateboard or sunglasses or anything else. Anyone can do that, but what we can show is, through our brand, is the authenticity, and the knowhow, and this shared value commitment, and the positive impact we can create through our very much custom and authentic model that we've created over the past six plus years. That all has to be tied to a strong brand identity that, again, was a great collaborative effort. My wife is a textile designer. She did a lot of the early artwork. Friends that are filmmakers that did a lot of the beautiful cinematography for us in our videos early on. Now, having these big companies coming in and using our plastic, they're now bringing their expertise to the table, and it's taking it even to a whole nother level, so it's exciting. F Geyrhalter:                 Absolutely. Can you describe your brand in one word? It's a tough one. It's ... I call it your brand's DNA. It's really, it's a feeling. It's a cause. It's an action, a mindset, but really, Bureo, in one word. Any thoughts? B Kneppers:                  Yeah. I have to say I cheated on this one. I'm glad you sent me the questions ahead of time, because I did have some time to reflect on this. I mean, I was going to go with positive, but I think everyone uses positive and positivity right now. But I think the bigger one is regeneration. A big reason I got out of the consulting world and got out into the private sector with this, my own private business with my partners, was because I wasn't seeing enough change. I was working in government policy, highest levels of working with the UNEP to some of the biggest companies in the world, consulting for Walmart and Coca-Cola and so forth. What I was seeing on all these levels is governments ... It ... Absolutely essential for governments to shift and make movements towards a more sustainable future, but I was a little bit too impatient for that work. It's very slow. It's very bureaucratic, and it was kind of driving me nuts. F Geyrhalter:                 I'm sure. B Kneppers:                  The part that I liked was how businesses, granted, big ones or big oil tankers can take years to turn, but small, lean businesses could make change very, very rapidly. The whole idea of what started Bureo for me was, "Can we use business for good? Can we actually not just do less harm to the environment, but actually regenerate the environment through business practices?" It's something we have almost treated as almost a scientific study. I actually published a journal last year with my father-in-law, who's a professor, and on this effort that we're doing, which is we've conducted a complete life cycle assessment of our plastic, which is basically the scientific method of measuring the environmental cost of creating something. The most common would be your carbon footprint, but we do it in all environmental impact categories. Then, through this shared value model, where we give back, reinvest in these communities with the money we're ... part of the money we're generating from the sale of the material, we actually have been able to offset those impacts. What that ultimately means is we can achieve a net positive regenerative output with this material, so we're actually doing more good than bad, where most companies in this space get recognized for doing less bad. You're still stealing. You're still doing bad, just less bad. There should be more about doing more good. Then, I guess the other part of that word, regeneration, that connected with me was not so ... not exactly tied to the word, but it is, I guess, is generation, is inspiring that next generation coming up is so, so important. F Geyrhalter:                 Oh. For sure. B Kneppers:                  To have a kid that's growing up right now, that he already has ... Hopefully, one of his favorite things could be our skateboard that's made from this material that was once perceived as a trash or even not even thought of as recyclable. Now, has that seed in his head at such an early age and understands the importance of doing those things. That's a generation, I think, that will really ... I hopefully ... I'm hopeful that will really turn things around. I think we're a transitional generation, and then, they're going to come in with a really clear head and know what's right and wrong and get us fully on that right track. F Geyrhalter:                 I really think and I really hope so, too. That word, by the way, regeneration, that is your brand DNA now. B Kneppers:                  Yeah. F Geyrhalter:                 I think it is absolutely perfect for your brand, and I'm glad that I pushed you a little bit up front so that you had some time to think about this. How can our listeners get involved with your cause or grab a skateboard from your brand to be part of the change? B Kneppers:                  I mean, you can obviously come to our website, just bureo.co, and then, certainly, we're very active on social media, always giving updates of our progression, definitely on Instagram, just @bureo on Instagram. It's pretty interesting, because we really pride ourselves on being transparent with our efforts. Certainly, there's a lot of fun and cool skateboarding and surfing pictures, but we also really like to post the nitty-gritty of, like, "This is what 15,000 pounds of fishing net that we just collected looks like, and this is the products we're now generating. This is the community projects we just financed thanks to those nets, thanks to people buying our products." It's really powerful that ... I feel, when you can let people in on that story and know that they're a part of it by supporting us in those ways, obviously, going to ... checking out our online store and just simply following us. A lot of our collaborated businesses see what our numbers are like on ... as followers on social media, and so the more followers you can get really actually does help us get more collaborators, so it does make a difference for us. F Geyrhalter:                 Yeah. For sure, and I urge everyone to also check out Bureo's Vimeo channel and definitely catch the Net Positiva documentary while you're there. I'll include some links in the notes, as well, but thank you, Ben. I wish this could go on for another hour, because there's plenty ... There are plenty more questions, plenty more things I want to know, but we only have that much time. This was so great to have you on the show all the way from across the world. Thank you so much for your time. B Kneppers:                  My pleasure. Thanks again for the opportunity. F Geyrhalter:                 Thank you all for listening. Give us a quick rating or even a review wherever you listen to this show. I would greatly appreciate it. This podcast is brought to you by Brandtro, our publishing arm, where you can pick up a signed copy of my latest book, Bigger Than This: How to Turn Any Venture into an Admired Brand for a silly 11 bucks, and if you like today's episode and the Bureo story, I'm almost certain you would enjoy the case studies and takeaways in the book. The Hitting the Mark theme music was written and produced by Happiness Won. I will see you next time, when we, once again, will be hitting the mark.

Jason and Andy tackle climate change and pollution by discovering tech designed to reduce one use plastics and disposable items. They review the reusable and actively heating Ember Mug (https://ember.com/), the awesome alkaline DYLN Water Bottle (https://www.dyln.co/) and the eco-friendly Bio Bean Coffee Logs (https://www.bio-bean.com/). Then Andy talks us through the severity of ocean plastic pollution and discusses how new innovations from companies such as Adidas (https://www.adidas.co.uk/parley), Super Cyclers (http://www.supercyclers.com/), Bureo (https://bureo.co/), Salt Water Brewery (https://saltwaterbrewery.com/), Method (https://methodproducts.co.uk/) and Dell (https://www.dell.com/) are helping to reduce ocean waste. Jason rewards our eco-fighting with a novel addition to any home, the mini arcade from Numbskull (http://www.numskull.com/pac-man/). Tomorrow's Nerd, your portal into the latest tech and coolest innovations, today, tomorrow and beyond.

Lonely Whale has partnered up with Dell and other corporations for a program called Next Wave Plastics, where corporations use ocean-bound plastics located in strategic areas to incorporate in their supply chain. This program answers the question: "What are corporations doing to help reduce plastics in their products?"  Dune Ives, Executive Director of Lonely Whale joins me on the podcast today to discuss the award winning program and how the corporate partnership is only the beginning of reinventing how products are made.  Dune is also here to discuss two new corporate partners to join the likes of GM, Bureo, Trek, Herman Miller, Human Scale and Interface to Next Wave Plastics. Do you think this program will get more corporations involved? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience. 

  I am so excited to share today’s podcast episode with you! Late last year, it was just a typical work day for me here in Oslo, and I got... The post On Set: The Uncut Documentary Interview with Bureo – A Social Enterprise That’s Cleaning Our Oceans of Plastic | Podcast Episode #7 appeared first on Rank & File Magazine.

They say opposites attract but the founding fathers of Bureo have a lot in common... Likes: surfing, skateboarding, engineering degrees, travel, Australia, their home on the East Coast of the States.... Dislikes: ocean plastics, wilting away in a stuffy corporate job. After graduating as engineers all three of the Bureo founders Ben Kneppers, Kevin Ahearn and David Stover found themselves hunting for waves in Australia. They hit it off because of the aforementioned similarities and decided to start a company. A company that first tackled the problem of ocean plastic, then created a product that they would actually use.

In this weeks episode, Claire, Jake and Mark talk about the brands. We look specifically at the ones we identify with and how they fit into our lives. Claire talks about: Bureo, Patagonia and Lush. Jake talks about: Tesla, M24 and Adidas. And Mark talks about: Carhartt WIP, LEGO and Pixar.

Ben Kneppers is a Co-Founder of Bureo Inc., an emerging company operating between Chile and the California focused on creating innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Through the team’s initiative, ‘Net Positiva’, Bureo has created Chile’s first ever fishnet collection & recycling program. Net Positiva provides fisherman with environmentally sound disposal points, while Bureo receives highly recyclable raw materials to create innovative products that bring net positive solutions to the world. Find out more at www.bureo.co

Ben Kneppers is a Co-Founder of Bureo Inc., an emerging company operating between Chile and the California focused on creating innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Through the team's initiative, ‘Net Positiva', Bureo has created Chile's first ever fishnet collection & recycling program. Net Positiva provides fisherman with environmentally sound disposal points, while Bureo receives highly recyclable raw materials to create innovative products that bring net positive solutions to the world. Find out more at www.bureo.co Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

In the mid-1970s two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield decided to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Their quirky little shop packaged and sold unusual flavors like Honey Coffee, Mocha Walnut, and Mint with Oreo Cookies. In 1981, the regional brand spread across the country after Time magazine called it the "best ice cream in America." Today, Ben & Jerry's is one of the top selling ice cream brands in the world. And, like the original founders, the company doesn't shy away from speaking out on social issues. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", how David Stover and his team at Bureo turn fishing nets into skateboards.

Bureo is on a mission to save our oceans from plastic waste The post Making Skateboards From Fishing Nets: In conversation with co-founder of Bureo appeared first on SEE Change Magazine.

Carol Sanford interviews Ben Kneppers of Bureo (http://bureo.co). Ben was named a Recreating Honoree in conjunction with the Regenerative Business Summit 2016. The post The Regenerative Business – Recreating Honoree, Ben Kneppers, Co-founder Bureo appeared first on Carol Sanford Institute.

Welcome to Life-Centered, a podcast about how looking to the natural world is impacting technology, society, and how we live our lives. I’m Tim McGee, and in this episode Amelia Tracy and talked with one of the co-founders of Bureo Skateboards Ben Kneppers. Bureo is probably one of my favorite companies in the entire world - and while you might not be able to tell I was a bit star-struck - so it was great to have Amelia there to keep the interview on track. Ben is an incredible visionary, speaker, and entrepreneur, and in this episode we got a chance to not only explore the creation of Bureo and their game changing approach to manufacturing, but also how his experiences and career trajectory keep him energized and hopeful for the future.

David is a co-founder of Bureo Skateboards, a sustainably minded company turning recycled fishing nets into skateboard decks. Hear how these ocean-lovers are reducing the number of discarded plastic fishing nets in the ocean through their Net Positiva program in Chile. By working with government and fishermen, Bureo is taking a negative, turning it into a positive, and creating innovative and fun products for all. Follow @bureo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bureo/ Follow Bureo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BureoSkateboards/?fref=ts Follow @bureoskateboard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BureoSkateboard Visit their website: http://www.bureo.co/

1. Orchestra of spheres (New Zealand) - "Numbers" CD "Vibration animal sex brain music" (Fire) 2. Steiner Raknes (Norway) - "Woodstock" CD "Stillhouse" (Reckless) 3. Boban & Marko Markovič orkestar (Serbia) - "Zvižduk" CD "Gipsy manifesto" (Piranha) 4. Mazes (UK) - "Donovan" CD "Better ghosts" (Fat cat) 5. Susanna & Ensemble Neon (Norway) - "Lonely heart" CD "The forester" (Susanna sonata) 6. Secret chiefs 3 (USA) - "Personnae: Halloween" CD "Book of souls: folio A" (Web of mimicry) 7. Mar Seck (Senegal) - "Sibouten" CD "Vagabonde" (Teranga beat) 8. Christiaan Virant (Hong Kong/China) - "Metropolis waltz" CD "Fistful of Buddha" (CVMK) 9. Lust for youth (Sweden ) - "Kirsten" CD "Perfect view" (Sacred bones) 10. Mara Aranda & Solatge (Spain) - "Alba de ses porgueres" CD "Lo testament" (Bureo) 11. Dubcon (Canada) - "Light it up" CD "UFO pon di Gullyside" (Metropolis) 12. AMJ Collective (UK) - "Sky blue love" CD "Sigu" (Astarartes) 13. Isula Ranni (Italy) - "Sonata per Zampogna - Allegro" CD "Unavantaluna" (FinisTerre) 14. Rebeca Matta (Brazil) - "Um sopro leve" CD "A flor da pele" (Tratore) 15. Richter & syn (Czech rep.) - "Dont want to tell you" CD "Nanebevzete Anežky Marie Snežne" (Rekommando) Страница программы на оф. сайте Сообщество программы Вконтакте