Last year, Costa Del Mar greeted ICAST attendees with a 9-foot marlin made of recycled materials. The trash fish was set up just inside the main entrance at the Orange County Convention Center, a unique way to kick off both the 2015 ICAST and the sunglasses and apparel company’s new environmental endeavor, “Kick Plastic.”
The initiative goes beyond simply holding onto plastic bottles when on the lake or not throwing away knots of fishing line. The company took a hard look at its own production methods and began cutting the waste it produces in-house—going so far as to have employees drink from metal bottles rather than plastic ones. It also began using a 50/50 ratio of organic material and recycled plastic in its t-shirts.
The marlin was a vivid reminder of the waste that accumulates in, on, and around fresh and saltwater. All of its components—bottle caps, plastic toys, hair combs, etc.—were found washed up on shore along the Pacific coastline.
Costa commissioned Washed Ashore, a non-profit, to create the marlin in 2015. This year the partnership came up with a mako shark, as impressive as last year, but with an added rationale for its existence: promoting a new roller coaster, “Mako,” at nearby SeaWorld.
As for the effect Costa’s efforts have had on the environment, things seem to be off to a good start. The company is hosting a special panel discussion this morning to discuss the ongoing environmental threat, with an update on Kick Plastic’s progress given concurrently.