Seatosee, more than just eyewear!

By the year 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. We only need to read this first line to understand what the future will be like for the sea. This true scandal was the alarm that called the attention of François van den Abeele, entrepreneur and sea lover, who decided to bet on a new circular economy project that can put an end to this issue.

Every pair of sunglasses sold = 10 kg of recylced fishing nets.

The project we’re talking about is Sea2See, a new brand of sunglasses made of 100% recycled material, from fishing nets and ocean polluting plastics that usually end up floating or at the bottom of the sea. What is the goal of this project? To reduce marine pollution by transforming recovered plastic and fishing nets into high-quality premium sunglasses. But feeling that this outcome alone wasn’t enough, François decided to use a portion of the company’s profits to fund several foundations and associations that promote work to clean up and save the oceans.

Whats is special about Sea2see eyewear? What makes them more than just sunglasses? 

Sea2See isn’t just about modern accessories and premium quality, it is also a sustainable pledge for the conservation and recovery of the oceans. It’s a declaration of principles. By using our sunglasses, our clients show their commitment to the environment, to nature and, of course, to the sea.

“Our sunglasses won’t change the world, but the people who wear them will.”

Our CEO started this project through a crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter platform, raising around 50,000 euros.

With the initial funding in place, François chose to work with the plastic debris that pollutes the Spanish sea, specifically fishing nets from various Spanish ports. There is an estimate that 12% of all the plastic in the sea comes from fishing activities. To help revert this, François chose to employ old nets discarded by fishermen before they ended up in the ocean, by collecting them in dumpsters. Sea2See recovers more than 10 Tons a month of abandoned nets. 

What is the next step in the process? 

Recovered fishing nets start the recovery path; they are chopped and cleaned, then passed to pellets in order to obtain a recycled clean plastic which is sent to Italy to be converted into fantastic sunglasses. Why Italy? Aren't the Italians known for fashion, design and quality of eyewear?