Story

Tide Ocean SA (#tide) was founded as a spin-off from the Swiss watchmaking industry. The idea: collecting and recycling ocean-bound plastic to create durable and sustainable quality products. Since 2019, #tide® has been giving value to plastic waste by bringing it back into the circle and creating social and environmental impact for the local communities. #tide is sourcing on the Asian and American continents – in areas that are strongly affected by plastic pollution. Since the foundation of #tide, more than 50 global brands have launched products made from #tide ocean material, ranging from watches to textiles, furniture and even adult toys. 

But let's start at the beginning.

When confronted with the plastic pollution crisis unfolding in the world’s oceans, Swiss entrepreneur Thomas Schori switched into problem solving mode. What could he do to help? 

Thomas is running a second-generation family business, the Braloba Group. This Swiss watchstrap manufacturing company has become a world leading supplier to many of the best-known global watch brands. Naturally, Thomas started looking into the possibility of using plastic waste as a raw material for the watch industry. 

He found out that no such thing had been attempted yet and set out to do what had never been done before: making watch straps out of upcycled ocean-bound plastic waste. Together with the University of Applied Sciences IWK (Eastern Switzerland), he started to conduct research on how the plastic waste could be sorted, cleaned, homogenized and modified to transform it into beautiful durable products. 

Recyclers and plastic producers were sceptic to say the least. But that didn’t stop Thomas. In close collaboration with the Swiss University of Applied Sciences, they successfully developed a mechanical method to transform the plastic waste into durable and sustainable products. The potential of this achievement quickly became apparent. What was originally intended to be a side project became a company of its own.

Tide Ocean SA, founded in 2019 in Switzerland, sources 100% ocean-bound plastic and supplying recycled granules, yarn, textiles and 3D-printing filament to brands and companies throughout all industries. An innovative and perdurable plastic waste solution for which #tide received numerous awards, such as the German Design and Technology Award Materialica (2019), the Swiss Plastics Award (2020 and 2023), the International Hong Kong Business Award 2020, the Swiss Ethics Award (2022) and the Swiss Packaging Award (2023). 

#tide ocean material can now be applied to an endless variety of durable products: watches, jewelry, sporting equipment, furniture, apparel, consumer goods and electronics, car interiors, carpets, packaging. 

Within the first 4 years, #tide ocean material has been used to create more than 50 products by reputable brands such as Tom Ford, Kvadrat, Condor Group, Meister, Winter & Company, or Yamamay. 

Tide Ocean SA has also developed its own series of Merchandise made of 100% ocean-bound plastic, such as the OceanMug (a reusable coffee mug), the OceanBags or the OceanDomino game.

More than just material

Showing the usefulness of plastic waste as a resource is just one aspect of our strategy at #tide for creating a sustainable business that benefits the environment and economy. Our goal is to create a positive impact on society and the planet as we develop a modern business concept that not only protects the Earth but also generates value for the most vulnerable members of the supply chain. 

For this reason, #tide soon shared its technological know-how with the people on the ground, getting involved with the collection as well. This was the only way to maintain control over the feedstock and ensure traceability and material quality. 

Today, #tide sources most of its plastic in Southeast Asia. Due to a lack of waste management systems and infrastructures, a lot of plastic waste in these coastal areas ends up in the ocean. The pollution hurts the environment, the local communities and of course the tourism industry. In 2022, #tide has incorporated a subsidiary in Thailand, Tide Ocean (Thailand) Co., Ltd. This remains #tide’s most important collection hub. Indonesia and the Philippines are additional sources of plastic. 

Going global

But plastic pollution has become a global problem: That is why #tide expands its activities to all continents: It is #tide’s goal to establish circular supply chains around the world. That is why #tide has incorporated a subsidiary on the American continent in 2023: Tide Costa Maya started to collect plastic along the Caribbean coastline. Further down the line, #tide is planning on expanding its activities to Africa in 2024 and to all the other continents as well. 

Impact means value

Removing plastic from the environment is obviously a service to the fauna and flora: 

• Removing plastic from the ocean or the coast reduces the risk of fish or other sea creatures getting fatally entangled and helps to maintain and conserve biodiversity. 

• The longer a piece of plastic is exposed to the rough conditions of UV rays, saltwater, sand, and wear-and-tear, the more likely it will disintegrate into microplastic. Turning an environmental problem into a full-blown health hazard. 

• Plastic pollution has caused and still causes significant economic harm to tourism and fisheries in the regions most affected by it. 

In short: tide’s business model contributes to healthier oceans and coastlines and as a truly sustainable solution, cares about the well-being of people as well. #tide exclusively works with carefully vetted partner organizations, non-profits or social enterprises to make sure the first mile of the supply chain is anchored in the communities. 

In Thailand for example, #tide has partnered with the Jan & Oscar Foundation, a Swiss Nonprofit organization focusing on building schools, clean water projects and providing job training. 

The Foundation has set up a social enterprise to recycle plastic waste in Ranong, an industrial city close to the border with Myanmar, which has become the residence of Tide Ocean (Thailand). This hub provides an example how #tide is giving value to waste: Local fishermen are paid to collect the plastic and bring it to the facility, where it gets sorted, baled, and sent for further processing. 

In it for the long run

This way, #tide does not only secure itself a steady source of raw material, but also helps set up a resilient waste management infrastructure with high involvement of the local population. This is the first and most important step on the long path to implementing permanent solutions to plastic pollution in the oceans. 

Tide Ocean SA continues to save marine life and improve the quality of life for the people who work hard to help the company in its mission to save the oceans from the burden of plastic waste.

#tide ocean material®, the long-lasting solution to plastic pollution in the oceans.