Virtu Made, a brand whose products symbolize the harmony between humankind and nature, has announced it has joined forces with TerraCycle Global Foundation to remove and recycle ocean-bound plastics from waterways.
TerraCycle Global Foundation’s mission is to reduce the flow of plastic waste from rivers and canals before it can reach the ocean. In close partnership with local communities, the foundation designs world-class river waste prevention, collection and recycling solutions in regions of the world suffering from heavily polluted waterways.
“We chose TerraCycle because they clean the planet, not just the oceans,” says Ryan Dedola, co-founder of Virtu Made. “Their main focus is innovating methods to clean and recycle all kinds of waste on planet Earth. Because of this, we know that partnering with TerraCycle is a strong choice.”
Eric and Ryan Dedola founded Virtu Made in the 2010s after traveling the world. They were fascinated by the diversity of cultures, art, and natural beauty that make up the planet. As they trekked around the globe, they met artisans in Guatemala, Bali, and Turks and Caicos. They soon began working with them to promote their crafts.
While repping artisan-made products, they met the team at TerraCycle Inc. The TerraCycle team made the brothers aware that tons of waste are dumped into rivers, oceans and landfills daily. Eric and Ryan felt the gravity of this global issue and knew they needed to be a part of the solution. Virtu Made's mission was born -- to make commerce a driving force that positively affects the environment.
With the new partnership, for every product Virtu Made sells, TerraCycle will remove one pound of trash from rivers, canals and oceans.
Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, a leader in testing, inspection/audit, advisory and certification, has contracted with TerraCycle to provide conformity assessment services, which verify the company's recycling operations and adherence to the Recycled Claim Standard.
“Transparency and honesty are important to us,” says Ryan Dedola. “We like that TerraCycle uses a third-party to verify that what is being claimed is true.”
In conjunction with the partnership, Virtu Made has launched a new line of bracelets. The bracelets are made out of colorful textiles by artisans in Bali and feature a stainless steel charm with Virtu Made’s logo, with the V and M resembling waves.
The company also sells throw blankets that are handcrafted in Africa, along with other artisan-made wooden chimes and jewelry.
“Virtually everything we make is already making a difference, and by adding a new partner to our business which is focused on cleaning the oceans, we are able to do even more to give back to the Earth,” says Ryan.
