![Hadrien, Terence, Valentina and Shipra are the founders of the recycled-materials sandal brand [ NUOCEANS ]](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0310/6586/6284/files/Nuoceans_1.webp?v=1697624452)
Hadrien, Terence, Valentina and Shipra are the founders of the sustainable recycled-materials sandal brand [ NUOCEANS ]
Founded in: 2018
Design and office location: Belgium 🇧🇪
Raw material sourcing locations: Europe 🇪🇺 & Thailand 🇹🇭
Manufacturing and production locations: Alicante, Spain 🇪🇸
Meet the founders
It was during a holiday by the sea in Asia that these young environmental enthusiasts faced a harsh reality: plastic waste in the oceans is becoming increasingly abundant. Walking along the beach, they noticed that discarded flip-flops were becoming as common as seashells. Sold by the billions every year, these shoes often end up in landfills or on beaches when they are too damaged to be reused.
And that is when a brilliant idea came to them: why not recycle these flip-flops to make new ones? In collaboration with a university professor in Thailand, they decided to collect this waste, grind it up, and compress it to create ethical sandals.
About the brand
Nuoceans is an eco-responsible European brand (based in Belgium) of sandals made from recycled materials. Its mantra? Creating new products with a new material for a new world. Using its innovative technique, the brand repurposes flip-flop waste to create a sustainable range of sandals with multicolored soles for adults.
Eco-responsible impact
The brand uses a circular manufacturing process. For its shoes, it uses existing waste and ensures that no new litter is disposed of in the natural environment.
Nuoceans pays particular attention to the selection of its raw materials. It chooses to use flip-flop waste, a plastic accessory that contributes significantly to beach pollution, as the main material for its products. Thus, un single pair of Nuoceans sandals repurposes approximately five flip-flops, or the equivalent of 500 grams of waste removed from the oceans.
The brand's values
♻️ Recycling ↓
The straps are made from vegan and recycled materials. The outsole is made from recycled EVA. In addition, the packaging boxes are made from recycled cardboard.
🔁 Upcycling ↓
The colored sole is made from 100% flip-flops recovered from the oceans. The cork sole is made from 100% cork stoppers and other ground-up cork waste.
🌀 Zero-waste lifestyle ↓
Nuoceans plans to recycle old sandals at the end of their life to create new multicolored soles, which will once again be used to make new sandals. In return, it offers a discount on the next purchase.
🇪🇺 Made in Europe ↓
Except for the flip-flop waste collected in Thailand, the materials are sourced in Europe.
The sandals are made in Alicante, Spain, in a certified factory
🐨 Vegan ↓
Nuoceans products are not tested on animals and are made without materials of animal origin.
👐🏽 Social and solidarity impact ↓
The brand works with an NGO in Thailand to manufacture the colored soles. Since the start of the project, it has partnered with a distribution company that works with people with disabilities. The brand ensures that every artisan has fair working conditions.
✅ Certified ↓
Most of the materials recommended by Nuoceans are GRS certified.
[ Nuoceans is an international company committed to fighting plastic pollution in the oceans. ]
