Perry Ellis expands partnership to remove plastic from oceans
Perry Ellis International is increasing the scope of an ongoing effort to recover plastic waste from oceans and waterways.
Since April 2022, Perry Ellis’s Original Penguin brand has collaborated with CleanHub, a Berlin, Germany-based technology company dedicated to implementing waste recovery solutions across Asia and Africa. To date, Perry Ellis says the Original Penguin partnership has facilitated the collection of nearly 25,000 pounds of plastic.
According to the specialty apparel and accessories brand, this expansion allows Perry Ellis to dedicate a portion of sales to recover an additional 10,000 pounds of plastic annually.
The expanded partnership is designed to support Perry Ellis’s overarching objective to take responsibility for its plastic waste and combat plastic pollution globally. These collaborative efforts are intended to enable complete transparency into the plastic recovery and recycling processes, helping to ensure the company's plastic footprint is effectively managed and mitigated.
Instead of plastic eventually degrading into harmful microplastics that pollute marine environments, the collected waste will be recycled and repurposed.
"At Perry Ellis International, we recognize the critical threat that plastic pollution poses to the health of our oceans and ecosystems," said Oscar Feldenkreis, CEO of Perry Ellis International. "Expanding our collaboration with CleanHub enables us to take tangible action and drive meaningful impact alongside our consumers in preserving the planet for future generations."
"Perry Ellis is an excellent example of a company taking proactive steps to care for our planet," said Joel Tasche, co-founder and Co-CEO of CleanHub. "We're excited to partner with Perry Ellis in our ongoing effort to prevent plastic from entering the oceans. With their partnership, we're set to make an even greater impact."
Albertsons, Walmart target marine sustainability
Grocery conglomerate Albertsons Cos. and discount giant Walmart are both actively involved in efforts to improve marine sustainability and protect the seafood supply chain. Both companies recently signed the newly launched Tuna Transparency Pledge from environmental non-profit The Nature Conservancy.
Walmart and Sam’s Club first instituted a requirement for all seafood suppliers to have 100% observer monitoring and other safeguards in place by 2027 back in June 2023. Meanwhile, Albertsons launched a program to reduce waste of seafood and other fresh produce with predictive analytics in November 2023.