About Us — Build the Blue

Why We Started This

In the spring of 2023, the four of us met at a beach cleanup event.

The sun was strong that day, and everyone was bent over picking up trash. Someone found a plastic bottle cap smoothed round by the waves, held it up to the light, and said, "It's actually quite beautiful." Someone else was dragging a discarded fishing net, saying that once it's thrown into the ocean, it can trap dolphins, sea turtles, and whales for decades. Someone was crouching by the rocks, trying to free a seabird tangled in plastic rope. Someone else slipped a piece of sea glass—polished smooth by the waves—into their pocket and said, "If you set this in silver, it'd look better than anything they sell in stores."

At the end of the day, we sat on the beach drinking water. No one wanted to leave.

Someone said, "What if we did this ourselves?"

And just like that, Build the Blue began.

Our Philosophy

We believe in one thing: the distance between trash and treasure might only be an idea.

Every year, 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean. Discarded fishing nets drift in the sea for centuries, entangling marine life and becoming "ghost nets" that continue to kill. Plastic fragments get broken down by waves, turning into microplastics that enter fish, and eventually, end up on our dinner tables.

We can't clear all the plastic from the ocean overnight. But we can do one thing—take the waste that has already been washed ashore, that has been discarded, that is harming the ocean, and turn it into something worth treasuring.

That's where Build the Blue begins.

What We Do

Step 1: Recover

We partner with coastal fishing villages to recover discarded fishing nets and ocean plastic debris. These materials would otherwise be burned, buried in landfills, or washed back into the sea. We bring them back—washing, sorting, processing them—giving them a second life.

Step 2: Transform

Discarded fishing nets go through a regeneration process to become a smooth, tactile material for our pieces. Recovered plastic fragments are ground down, reshaped, revealing the unique texture of each piece of material. These aren't flaws—they're the signature of the ocean being saved.

Step 3: Handcraft

Every piece is finished by hand. The artisans we work with include retired silversmiths, women from fishing villages, and individuals with hearing impairments. We pay above-market rates and provide steady work. Because we believe: if you're making something meaningful, the people who make it deserve dignity.

Step 4: Give Back

For every piece sold, we donate 10% of our profits to animal rescue organizations, funding spay/neuter programs, medical care, and adoption initiatives. Why stray animals? Because the ocean and stray animals share the same story—they're both lives neglected by humans. Every donation is publicly recorded on our website, so you can see exactly which animal your purchase helped.

What We Stand For

No animal-derived materials

No leather, silk, pearls, coral, or shells. Because every shell taken from the beach might have been a hermit crab's home.

Only recycled metals

All silver components are made from recycled silver. No new mining.

Plastic-free packaging

Our packaging boxes are made from sugarcane fiber and decompose completely in six months. Our tags are made from seed paper—plant them in soil and they'll grow into flowers.

No trends, no fast fashion

From sketch to finished piece, each design takes an average of four months. Because we need time to test materials, work through techniques with our artisans, and make sure every step meets the standards we hold ourselves to.

What Your Purchase Means

When you buy a piece from Build the Blue, you're not just "shopping."

You're helping remove a fishing net from the ocean.
You're helping feed a stray cat.
You're helping an artisan feel valued.
You're wearing something that tells the world who you are.

Who We Are

We're just four ordinary people.

One of us used to work in advertising. One used to sell fishing gear. One worked in animal rescue. One has been a silversmith for decades. None of us are anyone special. But we believe in one thing:

Change doesn't have to be big. It just has to start somewhere.

Build the Blue is our somewhere.

If you believe in this too, we'd love to have you with us.