Seads
Founder of sustainable label Seads, Agnes, is driven to help clean up our oceans, without making any compromises to style and quality. She and her label are committed to making a difference to our planet by taking action on the most pressing environmental issue facing our oceans: plastic. Part of the profit on each pair of Seads espadrilles are donated to projects that work to find solutions for the plastic pollution problem. Furthermore, Seads espadrilles are designed to be recycled again after they are worn out. Your Seads become the seeds for entirely new products.
The plastics problem has grown really big in a short period of time. Over the years, 5 billion tonnes of plastic waste ended up in landfills or in our environment. Only 9% of all plastics ever produced has been recycled. Some plastics have a useful lifespan that lasts for decades, such as plastics used in our cars, industrial machinery and in building and construction. But packaging is typically single-use. This type of plastic accounts for 40% of all plastics produced. In 2018, over 1.13 trillion items of packaging - most of them plastic - were used for food and drinks in the EU alone. Worldwide, over 400 million tonnes of plastics are produced each year. Since 2000, more plastics have been produced than in the 50 years before. And with growing consumption, the output of plastics continues to explode. In 2025, plastic production is expected to reach over 600 million tonnes per year. By 2050 this number is expected to have doubled.
Every year, 12 million tonnes of plastics leak into our oceans. This is equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. Most of it (80%) is uncollected or mismanaged waste from land-based sources, carried to the ocean by rivers and creeks. If no action is taken and business continues at the expected growth rate, we will have reached four garbage trucks per minute by 2050. It is quite hard to live completely plastic-free since plastics are everywhere, whether you like it or not. To really tackle the plastic pollution problem, we need to go to the source and rethink the way we produce and use plastic. Think circular, and make sure plastic never becomes waste.
Thankfully Seads is aiming to do better. The label has created a 100% circular lifecycle to ensure your Seads never damage the environment. Recovered Marine Plastic is sorted, washed and mixed with post-consumer plastic waste and transformed into new raw material. Every kilo of SEAQUAL® YARN, cleans about 1 kilo of marine waste from our oceans.
Seads espadrilles are designed and manufactured with their end of life processing in mind, using materials and techniques that maximize circularity, right from the start. Also, packaging and shipping logistics are optimized to reduce the environmental impact as much as possible. Choose your Seads carefully using the foot sizing tool. Keep in mind that wasted deliveries and returns impact the climate! Seads are shipped in a RePack bag, which is a great solution to get rid of packaging trash, as it replaces single-use packaging. Don’t throw the empty RePack away, just drop it in the nearest mailbox so it can be reused. Seads espadrilles are the perfect footwear whether you are on the beach, in the city, or at your office. When you have a paid of Seads that you really can’t wear anymore, you can just send Seads an email. They will send you a new RePack bag, and you can send your old shoes back for upcycling. Or better yet, order a replacement pair, and send your old ones back when your new ones arrive. Your old Seads are taken apart and sorted according to material component. The goal is to keep these valuable resources in the value chain forever. The material components are upcycled (again) into raw material, following the best and most efficient recycling method for each sort, while making sure there is no chance of contamination. The raw materials are carefully selected based on quality and re-usability to ensure they can take another ride in the Seads production process or can be repurposed to become completely new products.
What I think about Seads: I was lucky enough to be able to try a pair of Seads and I have been so happy ever since I received my pair. First of all, because the package came in a RePack, so no packaging waste what so ever. You just open the package and bring the envelope to your nearest mailbox. Then the packaging can be re-used again and again!
The shoes themselves are super comfortable and the perfect footwear for a sunny day out, whether you go to the city or are out in nature. The upper material of the shoes are made of SEAQUAL® YARN, a high quality recycled polyester yarn containing 10% Upcycled Marine Plastic and 90% recycled post-consumer plastic, the midsole is made of 100% jute and the outsole of 100% natural rubber.
Obviously, the fact that Seads are 100% sustainable and circular only adds to the joy and beauty and I can’t stress enough how much I love my Seads. Great job, Agnes, and I truly wish all the best for your amazing label!
Based: Essen, Germany.
Ships to: Germany, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vatican City.
Products: Sneakers made with upcycled marine plastic and all-natural materials.
Mission: To make a difference to our planet by taking action on the most pressing environmental issue facing our oceans: plastic.
URL: Seads
