Humanscale, a pioneer of ergonomic solutions for the office, is actively working to achieve a net positive impact on the environment. Its latest initiative focuses on reducing ocean plastic pollution. A charter member of the Next Wave Initiative, started by Dell and led by Adrian Grenier’s Lonely Whale, Humanscale is working with like-minded businesses and organizations to convert plastic ocean waste for product development and manufacturing.

Humanscale became part of the initiative after forming a partnership with Bureo, a California-based company which repurposes plastic fishing nets from the ocean for the development of products such as skateboards and sunglasses. Together, after both companies achieved Living Product Challenge certification in 2016, they began collaborating on a Humanscale chair built with ocean plastics from Bureo’s fishing net recycling program. The chair is set for release in 2018.

“Our goal in working with this group, and joining as a charter member, is to continue our efforts at saving marine life,” says Jon Strassner, Humanscale’s Director of Workplace Strategies, who attended the consortium’s kick-off meeting in Austin, TX earlier this year. “More than 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year. The ever growing deluge of ocean plastic pollution has a tremendous impact on human health. Plastic pollution reduces the amount of oxygen the ocean contributes to the atmosphere, limits the amount of carbon dioxide it can absorb, and contaminates fish and seafood.”

Robert King, Humanscale’s founder and CEO, is proud to move forward into 2018 with industry-leading partnerships that will benefit people, communities and the earth. “By working collectively and repurposing materials that would otherwise pollute our natural environment, we can achieve a more positive impact on our oceans and our planet.”