By Allyson Koerner
“It’s not a charity. It’s a plan of action.”
-project BLUE
Six major surf brands have come together to form project BLUE aimed at raising funds to protect oceans and coastlines worldwide. The collaboration between Billabong, DAKINE, Electric, Famous Wax, Nixon and O’Neill is a co-branded, eco-friendly product line with special edition merchandise. A portion of the proceeds from all sales will be donated to the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans, waves and beaches.
Below are some highlights of the line’s eco friendly, special edition merchandise.
- Famous Wax: petro-chemical free surf wax
- O’Neill: organic cotton t-shirts printed using soy based inks.
- Billabong: boardshorts made of Eco-Supreme Suede fabric created from recycled plastic bottles. This fabric diverts more than three million plastic bottles from landfills.
Photo Credit: project BLUE
- DAKINE: backpacks made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles
Photo Credit: project BLUE
- Electric: polarized sunglasses shipped in recycled packaging
- Nixon: surf-specific watches with custom 100 meter fiber reinforced polycarbonate and hardened mineral crystal
American Express joined project BLUE in 2009 as the organization’s first payment partner. In 2010, it donated $10,000 to the Surfrider Foundation.
“It’s important for everyone to make conscious decisions about the environment in their daily lives and that includes purchasing decisions, which is why we are proud to support project BLUE,” said Angel Maroto, vice president of the U.S. western region, American Express Merchant Services.
To purchase these products visit any of the major surf retail sites, project BLUE or SWELL—the official online retail partner. To find a store near you click here.
