On Air Now Daz Antrobus Noon - 6:00pm Email
Now Playing History One Direction Download

Cheshire entrepreneur launches national campaign with ambition to offset one gigaton of C02 by 2030

In a bold move intended to help in the fight against climate change, one independent retailer from Macclesfield is seeking investment into UK seaweed farms while launching a 100% biodegradable clothing range made from seaweed fibre.

Inland Sea is the brainchild of keen surfer and outdoor enthusiast Adam Costello, who founded the business in 2017 after being concerned about the amount of plastic pollution in UK cities, that would eventually end up in the sea.

Originally from Northwich, Cheshire, Adam who now lives in Macclesfield with his family, has become well known locally for his environmentally-focussed efforts.  Supporting community-led projects county-wide, such as helping launch Scoop and Scales, a plastic free, zero-waste store in Macclesfield. He also ran a stall at the town’s Treacle Market, selling Inland Sea products and raising awareness of his environmental mission.

After learning about the benefits of seaweed as a mass absorber of C02 - and how fibre can be created from the substance - Adam, this month, has launched a Kickstarter. Called ‘Does my carbon footprint look big in this’, it has an initial target of £13,444. Pledges can be made from as little as £10, with rewards including early bird and ‘design your own’ t-shirts, and even include an exclusive seaweed farm tour.

Adam explains: “Seaweed is a realistic solution to the climate crisis, and we want to bring this to the government's attention – as a viable answer for helping to tackle the climate emergency.

“The average person in the UK produces 12kgs of CO2 per day. By establishing seaweed farms here, we can offset huge amounts of carbon - around 4000Kg of CO2 could be absorbed per day, per seaweed farm. That’s the equivalent of saving the emissions omitted from four return flights from London to New York.”

Seaweed grows at an incredible rate, especially compared to trees, which means it absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere quickly. Per acre, it can absorb up to 20 times more CO2 from the atmosphere than forests.

Adam added: “Our dream is to help extract a gigaton of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2030 and to create a circular economic process, where we can use the seaweed from the farms we invest in, to create the fibre for our t-shirts and at the same time contribute to solving the climate crisis.”

Not yet sourced from UK waters, the fundraising campaign will allow Inland Sea to work with the producers of the patented material, SeaCell™MT. It is manufactured using Bladderwrack, a type of seaweed commonly found in Atlantic oceans, which is seeded on ropes until it’s ready to be harvested. The fibre is made using environmentally friendly technology - the production process generates energy and recovers key parts of the raw materials, by embedding the seaweed firmly within a natural fibre. This ensures the positive properties of the seaweed are permanently preserved, even after multiple washes.

To ensure a fully green manufacturing process, Inland Sea is working with Utenos Trikotažas, the world’s first and only clothing producer to be certified by Greenpeace.

Adam concludes: “As well as our own line of garments, we plan to work alongside other independent ethical clothing brands to create and sell their own clothing ranges using seaweed fibre. It is one of the greenest materials ever made – and is 100% biodegradable. By collaborating with retailers across the country, we can lead the way with sustainably-produced fashion.”

To find out more about the Kickstarter, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/adamcostello/does-my-carbon-footprint-look-big-in-this

To learn more about Inland Sea, visit: www.inlandsea.co.uk

Inland Sea is an ethical clothing brand set up in 2017 by Adam Costello.

Founded on Adam’s passion for raising awareness of the plastic pollution in our cities, and how it ultimately ends up in the sea, Inland Sea works to support possible solutions to climate change.

Protecting the planet and promoting positive climate action are central to Inland Sea’s ethos. By using 100% recycled material throughout the range, the core values are weaved into every garment created.

At Inland Sea, we want to change the world. Join us. www.inlandsea.co.uk

Pictured - Keen surfer and outdoor enthusiast Adam Costello.

More from Local News

Comments

Add a comment

Log in to the club or enter your details below.
Rating *

Today's Weather

  • Macclesfield

    Light rain

    High: 9°C | Low: 4°C

  • Crewe

    Light rain

    High: 9°C | Low: 4°C

  • Knutsford

    Light rain

    High: 9°C | Low: 4°C

  • Wilmslow

    Light rain

    High: 10°C | Low: 4°C

  • Sandbach

    Light rain

    High: 10°C | Low: 4°C

  • Congleton

    Light rain shower

    High: 9°C | Low: 4°C

Listen Live Listen