Project Ocean brings together designers to raise awareness on harmful plastics

Around 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, with eight million tonnes being dumped into the ocean. With that alarming statistic in mind, Selfridges is tackling single-use water bottles in its latest campaign for Project Ocean.

Now in its fifth year, Project Ocean is a partnership between Selfridges and The Zoological Society of London launched to protect sea life. For this year’s project, Selfridges has removed all plastic carrier bags and all still and sparkling plastic water bottles from its store, which accounts for around 400,000 bottles a year.

Visitors to the store can also enjoy a pop-up Water Bar shedding light on and exploring alternatives to plastic waste. Curated by Jane Withers the space brings together designers like Studio Swine, who have created a series of Gyrecraft objects inspired by maritime crafts and made from recycled ocean plastic; Arabeschi di Latte, an experimental food design studio as well as architect and maker Nick Wood, whose colourful flotsam installation greets shoppers.

In our latest Audience Survey we saw how concern about the environment is growing daily. Today, big businesses can no longer afford to ignore the topic. And, conversely, the likes of Patagonia and Adidas have already demonstrated that investment in the environment elevates a brand’s standing and helps them reap big financial rewards.