Shinola, Veritiv join NextWave Plastics

The companies will help the organization divert a minimum of 25,000 metric tons of plastics from entering the ocean by the end of 2025.

NextWave Plastics, New York, has announced that Shinola, a handcrafted goods store in Detroit, and Veritiv Corp., a packaging company based in Cleveland, are joining the consortium of worldwide businesses committed to scaling the use of ocean-bound plastics by developing the first global network of ocean-bound plastics supply chains. 

According to a news release from NextWave, the addition of Shinola and Veritiv marks 11 companies it is collaborating with to divert a minimum of 25,000 metric tons of plastics from entering the ocean by the end of 2025. 

Shinola and Veritiv join NextWave as the consortium recently celebrated four years since its launch. In that time, NextWave says its member companies have diverted 2,316 metric tons of plastic from entering the ocean. 2021 saw a 98 percent increase in annual diversion over 2020. 

Shinola marks the second luxury goods retailer to join the NextWave consortium. In 2021, Shinola debuted its Detrola Sea Creatures Collection on World Oceans Day. As the brand’s first foray into recycled goods, each Sea Creatures watch features a case and strap crafted from #Tide Ocean Material granules and yarn made from 100-percent-ocean-bound plastics. 

“We are thrilled to join NextWave Plastics and a collective of brands paving the way for new sustainable practices through the use of ocean-bound plastic,” says Brandon Little, vice president of product design at Shinola. “With the help of NextWave and its partners, we hope to set the benchmark for luxury consumer products in the modern world.” 

Veritiv joins NextWave after years of work with founding member Dell Technologies on sustainable packaging solutions, including the IT industry’s first ocean-bound plastic packaging. As a NextWave member, Veritiv says it seeks to expand the use of recycled ocean-bound plastic to additional packaging applications and offer this sustainable material option to other customers seeking alternatives to virgin plastic packaging.

“We are excited to join the NextWave Plastics consortium,” says Susan Salyer, senior vice president and chief compliance and sustainability officer for Veritiv. “Together, we can help create healthier, safer and more sustainable communities through the expertise of our diverse team. At Veritiv, sustainability is not simply a value-add or a premium solution. It is a core responsibility to collaborate with our customers and suppliers to offer and deliver sustainable and innovative solutions.” 

NextWave recently launched its Social Responsibility Framework, a guide for organizations to provide for the social responsibility of all ocean-bound plastic collectors. 

The organization says about 20 million individyals around the globe collect plastic, including plastic that would otherwise end up in the ocean, and are responsible for 60 percent of the world’s recycling. The framework equips brands and organizations with the tools they need to ensure these collectors achieve safe working conditions, inclusion and equitable pay and livelihoods, NextWave says.