The awards are timely with COP26 ending and the global awareness of our precarious climate position rising as fast as sea levels. In a quest to celebrate and accelerate sustainable innovations for the oceanwinner, Tim Silverwood and Nick Chiarelli have rounded up HP as a sponsor and are putting their time and investments into helping ocean based startup solutions to ignite. Generation Impact winners receive access to funding, technology, and mentorship from HP and Ocean Impact Organisation, while the Ocean Impact Pitchfest supports more established startups.
A diverse range of solutions take out the top three places for the inaugural Generation Impact Incubator, and the winner was Emile Theau, the co-founder of planet-friendly surfboard manufacturer Sine Surf. Sine Surf produces sustainable and durable surfboards and surf wear through the use of natural and wooden materials, resulting in the production of 91% less plastic waste compared to regular surfboard production.
“SINE SURF WAS BORN FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE IN SURFING. I SNAPPED A FOAM BOARD ON IT’S VERY FIRST SURF EARLY IN 2020 AND BEGAN RESEARCHING WHY THEY WERE SO DISPOSABLE AND WASTEFUL; I WAS DRAWN TO THE BEAUTY AND DURABILITY OF WOODEN SURFBOARDS.
MOST OF THE SURFBOARDS MARKETED TODAY AS BEING WOODEN, STILL USED FOAM AND FIBERGLASS AND HAVE NO SUSTAINABLE ADVANTAGE."
Sine Surf boards address the problems of plastic pollution in our oceans. By replacing the foam core with a new hollow timber structure and by reducing the amount of epoxy used by two thirds, Emile Theau, co-founder believes that their surfboards are the most sustainable boards on the planet.
The first runner up was Sian Murray, the co-founder of Pleasant State. Pleasant State is a company which aims to reduce plastic waste and production by replacing everyday household cleaning products with more sustainable, recyclable and environmentally friendly materials which are easily accessible.
Pleasant State has taken the 3% of active ingredients and formulated a highly effective, plant-based, concentrated cleaning product range. All you need to do is add water to create either a multi-purpose; bathroom or glass cleaner. This solution stops us from transporting around litres of water, contributing to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and puts an end to toxic cleaning chemicals entering our waterways.
“WE WANTED A SOLUTION THAT WOULD NOT ONLY HELP AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE, BUT ALSO REMOVE SOME OF THE NASTY, TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED IN HOUSEHOLD CLEANING. PLEASANT STATE ARE BEAUTIFUL, WASTE-FREE AND NON-TOXIC PRODUCTS".
The second runner up is Curtis Sciacca, co-founder of Nurtured.Co. Nurtured.Co develops and creates artificial coral reefs in order to rejuvenate, rehabilitate and restore reefs worldwide.
Nurtured. Co has developed new technology to help protect, save and rebuild the Great Barrier Reef, and support the development of new, artificial reefs across Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef has faced devastating bleaching events that are becoming more severe and more common.
Nurtured.Co Artificial Reef Technology (NART) is based upon the mineral accruement process. Previous studies on mineral accruement artificial reefs have demonstrated that the technology can provide accelerated coral growing conditions and enhanced settlement rates along with numerous benefits to the ecosystems in which they are situated. Additionally, corals grown on these structures are far more resilient to extreme weather events and rising ocean acidification.
The winner of the 2021 Pitchfest, Sea Forest. Sea Forest is a Tasmanian start-up pioneering the production of Asparagopsis seaweed. Asparagopsis is a red seaweed native to Australian Coastal waters. Through photosynthesis it captures carbon from the atmosphere which makes up 40% of its biomass. Growing seaweeds also helps to clean and de-acidify our oceans through absorbing nutrients and CO2 via photosynthesis. Seaweeds grow faster than land-based plants because the whole organism photosynthesises.
When fed to livestock, can reduce methane. Methane has a global warming effect 28 times that of CO2, causing livestock to contribute 16% of global greenhouse emissions. Animals whose diets contain 0.2% Sea Forest’s supplement will have methane reductions up to 98%.