Boat International - February 2016

http://www.boatinternational.com | February 2016

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ince its launch in 2011, Project Ocean, a collaboration

between the British department store Selfridges

and the Zoological Society of London, has

campaigned on a range of marine-themed issues: from

not eating endangered fish to the need for more reserves.

In 2015, however, it focused on raising awareness of these

issues and driving change to reduce the amount of plastic

waste we casually discard.

Last summer Selfridges staged an exhibition in its

Ultralounge, curated by Jane Withers, that invited shoppers

to “imagine life without the plastic water bottle”. It drew

attention to the fact that almost 400 million tonnes of plastic

areproducedgloballyeachyear–onlyabout10percentof

which is recycled – and that eight million tonnes of plastic are

dumped each year in the ocean, accounting for up to 80 per

cent of marine debris. This creates immense concentrations

of potentially toxic plastic waste formed by the gyres (systems

of rotating currents) now at large in the world ’s oceans.

Indeed, within the next decade the ratio of fish to plastic in

the world ’s oceans is expected to be about 3:1.

Among several arresting, specially commissioned

installations was a collection of objects named Gyrecraft,

made from plastic recovered from the North Atlantic,

designed by Studio Swine, including a replica of the 22 metre

research vessel from which they harvested the plastic waste.

Within the “ship”, visitors were able to listen to recordings

explainingwhathappenstoplanktonwhentheyingestthe

plastic, and by extension what happens to other marine

species when they do the same. It is therefore a problem that

extendsallthewayupthefoodchain.

“Customer awareness of Project Ocean has been

significant,” says Pitcher. “In terms of changing customer

perceptions, 80 per cent of those polled said that it made them

think about the issues,” whether it was buying fewer single-

use plastic bottles, recycling more, donating money or simply

spreading the word.

For Selfridges, Project Ocean is part of what Pitcher

describes as “buying better, inspiring change: an approach

to sustainable business that inspires people, partners and

customers to respect the environment, buy responsibly and

champion sustainable products that contribute to healthy and

happy communities”.

Winner – Corporate and social responsibility*

SELFRIDGES

Represented by Anne Pitcher, managing director of Selfridges UK

For–itsProjectOceaninitiative,whichlastyearremoved

single-use plastic bottles from its food halls and restaurants

Please note that, in the interests of fairness, Alannah Weston, an Ocean Awards judge and deputy chairman of Selfridges,

stepped out of the room while this award was being debated and decided upon

THE OCEAN AWARDS 2016

*Criteria – the company that has done the most to address ocean conservation, whether through

sustainability issues or addressing pollution threats, such as plastics

Highly commended – The Economist

For – hosting, in June 2015, its third World Ocean Summit, attended by

350 government ministers, business leaders and environmentalists from all over

the world, to discuss how to move from a conventional ocean economy to a “blue”

economy. It also ran the Ocean Innovation Challenge, an initiative that called for

solutions to alleviate the tension between growth and sustainability in the oceans

Highly commended – Unilever

For – phasing out, by 1 January 2015, its use of plastic microbeads/micro-plastics

in its personal care products worldwide by using suitable alternatives

JUDGE #8 PETER LÜRSSEN
Back in 1997, when the 96 metre Limitless was launched, she became the first superyacht to run on diesel-electric engines, evidence that Lürssen, which built her from designs by
Jon Bannenberg, has had a long-standing commitment to and interest in environmental challenges and remains at the forefront of technology, methods of production and quality.
Two decades on and these same issues are still close to the heart of the company’s CEO, Peter Lürssen, the great-grandson of Friedrich Lürssen, who founded the famous German
shipyard in 1875. Having studied naval architecture and economic engineering at the University of Kiel, Peter went to Japan, where he worked as a construction supervisor for
a Norwegian shipping company at various shipyards, after which he went to the US to study for an MBA at the business school at Cornell. Returning to Germany in 1978,
he joined the family firm, which he now heads with his cousin, Friedrich Lürssen.