Tide Ocean SA on the road to success

It's a Swiss success story with a global appeal: two years after its inception, the Basel-based company Tide Ocean SA has already collected the equivalent of 25 million plastic bottles from coasts, beaches, and islands in Southeast Asia and transformed them into durable products with an award-winning upcycling process. The company is not only making an important contribution to protect the oceans but is also implementing solutions to close the cycle of plastic waste pollution by giving a new lease of life to this disregarded litter. The Financial Times complimented Tide Ocean for its commitment to pay fishermen and local communities fair wages:

“A just transition for communities such as these adds to the sustainability balance sheet.”

Financial Times

These pledges and the high-quality of #tide®'s raw material have already led to fine collaborations. More than 20 products have reached market maturity, including a luxury watch by fashion designer Tom Ford, where both the case and the watch strap were made from #tide ocean material®. Winter & Company has developed Toile Ocean, the world's first book cover made of ocean-bound plastic. And the traditional company Meister & Cie. offers with their OceanYarn a range of high-quality ropes, cords and strings spun with #tide ocean material®.

But that’s not all: while 1200 companies from all over the world had applied for the notorious accelerator program Kickstart Innovation, Tide Ocean SA was one of the few selected. This allowed #tide ocean material® to convince well-known Swiss companies such as Coop and Migros of the superior quality of its material and to substantiate the social and environmental impact of its initiatives. As a result, Coop decided to use #tide to develop luggage, cosmetics packaging, and household products made from ocean-bound plastic.

For #tide, this commitment is of great importance: “The problem of ocean plastic affects us all - even in landlocked Switzerland,” says Thomas Schori. “We are dependent on solutions that bring our ecosystems back into balance and that are at the same time economical, for everyone involved.”

In addition to collaborating with brands from Asia, Europe, and North America, #tide has also developed its own products. Several thousand OceanBags have already been sold, and at the end of November, #tide will launch the OceanMug, the first closable reusable coffee cup made from ocean-bound plastic. That way, conscious commuters who do not want to drink their coffee in disposable cups can contribute to saving the oceans.

In 2022, a water bottle will also be launched on the market, as well as an OceanDomino, the first game made of 100% ocean-bound plastic: "In this way, we are also giving consumers the opportunity to set the example and support us," says co-founder Marc Krebs.

For the third business year, the prospects look impressive: “In 2022, there will be a substantial breakthrough in new markets,” says founder and CEO Schori.

“Several major mass production projects in the furniture industry will be introduced."

Thomas Schori, CEO & Founder

"We will also surprise you with major international partnerships in the consumer electronics, packaging and textiles sectors.”

Even the automotive and construction industries are showing concrete interest in ocean-bound plastics. At the end of its second year, #tide's R&D department is busy with almost 100 projects which are in development phase.