Young entrepreneur could net a fortune
STUDENT Nathan Smith has launched a business to tackle the marine plastic crisis – by catching the attention of online buyers.
The 21-year-old, is a second year Entrepreneurial Business Management (EBM) programme student at Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School.
On a trip to Thailand last summer, he was struck by the level of rubbish and plastics littering beaches and pondered how he could raise awareness of ocean pollution.
Now he has set up OceanJunkie, a social enterprise which recycles discarded fishing nets into bracelets. The money raised from bracelet sales is reinvested to help organise and fund community beach clean ups along the North East coast.
“OceanJunkie is start-up business dedicated to helping to fight the world’s plastic problem,” said Nathan.
“We upcycle nets into bracelets with a mission to save marine life and give them back their ocean.
“Every bracelet purchased represents a marine life saved. We want to rid the world of ‘ghost nets’ and hope the awareness we raise through people buying our bracelets and supporting the OceanJunkie movement will help to bring in regulations for the proper disposal of fishing gear.”
During his studies at Northumbria University, Nathan has been encouraged to develop his interest in marine conservation into a commercial, sustainable enterprise.
“The EBM programme has given me the resources, confidence and motivation to create OceanJunkie,” he said. “Prior to coming to university, I knew that I wanted to set up in business but I felt that I didn’t know enough to go it alone.
“I heard about THE EBM programme and I was instantly hooked, it offered the business development and skills support I was looking for, and I achieve a degree at the same time.
“Through the OceanJunkie ethos of recycling, I want people to realise the impact that plastic and ghost nets are having on our marine life and our oceans and to give people the opportunity to make a difference and help the environment.
“My vision is to reinvest profits into supporting beach clean ups, ensuring groups have the funds to purchase the tools they need, as well as donating money to support the important work of the Marine Conservation Society.”
Dr Alex Hope, associate professor of business ethics at Northumbria University, said: “I am delighted that Nathan’s business will help us in this mission and highlight the real problem of plastics in the marine environment, and proud that our EBM programme is helping to creating responsible and sustainable businesses.”
Since 2009, Northumbria has supported the development of more than 200 graduate businesses, which currently employ over 1,000 and now have a combined annual turnover in excess of £80m.
■ Nathan’s bracelets are handmade in the UK from nets pulled out of the sea. The bracelets come in three colours and retail online for £5 plus postage and packing, trading under @JunkieOcean on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.