Ocean Sole

$763.17 crowdfunded from 311 people

$3,771.77 received from matching pools

36%
average score over 3 application evaluations
Transforming washed-up flip-flops into art and functional items to tackle plastic waste and support local communities in Kenya.

We turn flip-flops into art and functional products and in turn raise visual awareness of the problem at hand. By creating these sculptures, we support men, women, youth (18 to 35), fisherman and other entrepreneurs that are all part of our eco-system.

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Whether picking up flip-flops that we pay for or using our waste for up-cycled products such as mattresses, our community engagement has been strong and is at the core of our business and hearts.

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Did you know that 10-20% of plastic waste in the Indian Ocean is flip-flop? We recycle over 1 tonne of flip-flops EVERY week.

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We are a social enterprise, that upcycles washed up flip-flops found along the beaches and waterways in Kenya. Inspired by the toys children were making out of the flip-flop debris, Julie Church, the Ocean Sole Founder, encouraged their mothers to collect, wash, and cut the discarded flip-flops into colourful products to sell at local Kenyan Markets as another means of income for their families.

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We recycle a flip-flop every 60 seconds!

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Over the last two years we've recycled over 1 million flip flops.

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Ocean Sole History

  • applied to the Gitcoin Citizens Round #2 1 year ago which was rejected
  • accepted into Climate Round 1 year ago. 132 people contributed $537 to the project, and $2,391 of match funding was provided.
  • accepted into Climate Solutions Round 1 year ago. 179 people contributed $226 to the project, and $1,381 of match funding was provided.

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