An Overview Of Our Solution
Stream2Sea is the only brand of mineral sunscreen and body care products that has been tested and proven not to harm humans, fish and coral larvae. There is no designation or regulation that states what the term reef safe or reef friendly means. Most are going with industry accepted ingredients, many of which we have proven kill fish eggs and coral larvae while adding estrogen and endocrine disruptors to humans. We have not been able to find a boat wash/ car wash, wetsuit/sport clothing cleaner, nor a sunscreen for beautiful dark skin, that are both effective and are not harmful to the aquatic environment nor to humans. This is our reason for application. We feel we could launch these three items with funding for our testing.
- Population Impacted: 7.8 billion
- Continent: North America
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Analyse du contexte
A study out of France showed that 80% of body care products may contain estrogen and endocrine disruptors. Most are aware of this in sunscreen, but in body care products, because they are not over the counter drugs like sunscreen, they can put these chemicals under the term fragrance and the public is none the wiser. Infertility rates, birth defects in sea urchins, endometriosis, coral larvae death, Hirschsprung's disease, coral bleaching and many other issues are associated with these chemicals. Our goal is to save all of the babies, human to cuddly little coral larvae, and in turn help insure the health of our species.
Décrivez la solution technique que vous voudriez voir le public cible adopter.
How is it possible that we cannot find a boat wash that would pass our test or that of the EPA for use in water? Why do most cleaners not list ingredients? The clothing/wetsuit cleaners we tested kill fish in very little time. We have a solution. We read a study that said that African Americans get skin cancer less than Caucasians but die at a higher rate because when the do get it, it goes undetected. Most healthy sunscreens make beautiful dark skin ashy or tinted blue or purple. The chemical ones can change estrogen levels in urine within 30 minutes of application. We have a formula that is incredibly effective, blends with beautiful dark skin tones and is safe for humans and our waters.
Décrivez votre intervention comportementale.
Education, education, legislation. We spend much of our time speaking to conservation groups, sports clubs, outdoors people, outfitters and guides, schools, etc. We have also been instrumental in the passing of bans in the USVI and Palau. Autumn, our Cosmetic Chemist, Founder and CEO, testified in USVI and was asked by the government of Palau to help educate their population about the ban. We would rather educate than legislate, but time is of the essence. To date we have shared more than 300,000 Ingredients to avoid cards on recycled paper, some coated with sugar cane resin to be waterproof for water sports guides and have trained more than 30,000 individuals about the importance of tested and proven products. We sponsor and work with many other environmental organizations and in turn they share the importance of ours. Cleaners, sunscreen and body care products are not the only thing harming the ocean, but it is easy to fix, nice to use, safer for our bodies and inexpensive to change.
Leviers comportementaux utilisés
Au besoin, veuillez expliquer comment vous avez utilisé le ou les leviers avec plus de détails.
Choice- We highlight "wavemakers" brand ambassadors, groups or individuals that are doing good on our social media platforms. We have staff on the ground when new bans go into place to educate the populace. And we are constantly encouraging "safe for you safe for our waters" behavior
Emotional- We are proud of the folks doing our work and give them frequent shout outs on social media, Joy in our ban successes and reef restoration, Hope- we have the products to solve the problem, Fear -infertility, disease, lack of food, lack of oxygen, loss of species, Anger - that these chemical are legal, species that are lost, reefs that disappear, Amusement - when we train that the NHL had the cup as a mandatory part of the uniform 100 years before the helmet, If you want your "junk" to work, use the right SPF and body care.
Info - shared in the box above - Rules - bans - Material - coupons, trade in programs and sponsorships
Social- Beach cleanups, shout outs on social media, influencers, etc.
Décrivez votre mise en œuvre.
Canadian news people blamed a tubing rental firm for the fact that the Salmon had not hatched on their river for four years. We educated the company and staff, they started requiring the use of Stream2Sea sunscreen to rent their tubes, One year later, they had the largest salmon hatch in 20 years. We have many similar anecdotes. It only takes 62 parts per trillion of Oxybenzone to kill coral larvae, that is one drop in 6 Olympic size swimming pools. Once people understand the impact they are having on themselves, their health, that of their unborn children and then the planet as a whole, it is difficult for them not to change. When education fails or is too slow, legislation through bans has mandated that change. We started this journey more than 5 years ago and we are finally starting to make some real headway with the general population.
Our Key Success factors have been not compromising. We are morals over money. Our goal is global impact. We cannot sleep if there is a chance we are harming or even not making the environment healthier.
It is difficult for us to get around the ad blocking and financial power of the large companies that would prefer to continue raking in trillions of dollars while compromising humans and our waters. We are the underdogs trying to solve as many problems as we can and protect what and who we love. We are overcoming these obstacles through individuals and organizations that are willing to stand up to harmful industry and speak out and also through the groundswell of just telling everyone they know
Décrivez le leadership de votre solution. Qui dirige la mise en œuvre?
Stream2Sea is a women owned business with more than half of the management team being female and one manager is a member of the LGBTQ community as well. We have a senior veteran in charge of operations and were started in Hardee County to bring jobs to an area in need of industry. Our leadership team is in Florida, Massachusetts and Idaho, which brings different environmental concerns to light. Our VP is part Hawaiian and has grown up recusing sea birds, running tests on Hanauma Bay and experiencing the loss of that reef and many species. Many of us are divers, a few Master Divers and instructors. We all are outdoor adventurers and seem to rescue pets frequently.
Principaux intervenants et partenaires du programme
Not for Profit Partners - Naui Green Divers Initiative, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Island Green Living Association, Amazing Animals Inc, Abingdon Foundation, The International SeaKeepers Society, American Conservation Coalition, Aeon for Ocean, Pittsburg Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Sea of Change Foundation, Reef Relief, Reef Check Worldwide, Oceanic Global, Beaches Go Green, Reef, Rescue a Reef, Project Aware, Plastic Tides, Angari Foundation, Clearwater Audubon Society, Inland Ocean Coalition, Plastic Free Me, Divers for Education and Environmental Programs, Coral Restoration Foundation Curacao, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Saint Croix Environmental Association, Sound Waters, Sisters of the Sea, She Jumps, Sharks 4 Kids, Sea Shepherd, Scubanauts International, Dive Like a Girl Scout, Florida Audubon, Earthwatch Institute, Georgia Aquarium, Whale and Shark Oceanic Research Center, Atlantic Shark Institute, Idaho Rivers United, Friends of Our Florida Reefs, Eco Preservation Project, Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, Shark Angels, Force Blue, Fins Attached, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Superdive Foundation, Dolphin Communication Project, Plastic Oceans
For profit partners include, Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages, MSC Cruise Lines, PADI, West Marine, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods FL and over 2000 independent stores globally.
Qui a adopté le(s) comportement(s) souhaité(s) et dans quelle mesure?
Divers were the first to take note of our science and to adopt our tested and proven products. They love the effectiveness and have seen the devastation of reefs around the world. When we were endorsed by the above Dive training groups and a number not mentioned above, we knew we were on the right track. When we trained 115 employees of Fury, an outfitter in Key West that takes more than 1000 people out to the reefs per day, and they decided to give their guests our spf and not allow any other on their boats, we could measure the impact on the reef. The natural food folks are close behind and are beginning to see that Organic does not mean aquatic safe. We see women as our primary early adopters. Women are the ones driving change in sports, industry, government, business and the environment. Women seem to grasp the importance for humans and the environment very quickly.
Quel a été votre impact sur la pollution de l'eau?
Most body care products include microplastics. There are many names for micro plastic, the one commonly used in hand sanitizer is carbomer, is used to thicken products. A report in 2008 showed 97% of American had Oxybenzone in their systems, many of these chemicals end up in our drinking water. We do not use any micro plastics; all of our products are readily biodegradable and have been tested to do no harm while biodegrading. (very rare). Our products actually are doing good as well. three times we have seen science experiments where life forms introduced to our products fared better than the control groups while our competitors’ products killed them all. The tests were on Orchid Dottie Back fish, Brine Shrimp and sunflowers. Our goal is to tackle the huge industries of Car washes, boat washes and athletic gear cleaners. Many do not list ingredients, would not pass our tests or the third-party ones we use, and we can do better.
Quel a été l'impact de votre solution sur les problèmes d'équité?
We are solving the problem of African Americans dying at a disproportionate rate due to melanoma that has gone undetected. We have made a formula that will blend with most skin tones, is a pleasure to use, is cost effective, does no harm to them or their environment and even come in a sugar cane resin tube rather than a petroleum-based plastic. We are also trying to save the ocean that provides us with 70% of our oxygen, removes carbon, provides food for 4.3 billion people every day and is the main source of income and sustenance for many indigenous people. Our main customer has skin, but the impact of our products includes those with scales, exoskeletons, fur and feathers as well. Our product was made for all creatures of the planet.
Quels étaient les avantages sociaux ou communautaires de votre solution?
Stream2Sea partners with many conservation groups and not for profits, we mentor interns frequently, usually those studying marine biology or conservation and we were built as a business incubator for Hardee County to provide jobs in an area in need.
We organize and participate in waterway cleanups, fundraising events for environmental causes and provide products for many organizations doing good work.
Quels ont été les co-bénéfices environnementaux de votre solution?
The Salmon that we saved on just one river must have had many different impacts from humans to Orca Whales. How can you measure the impact of thousands of people a day wearing or using products that are safe and doing no harm? The immediate and long-range impact is enormous. The ban in Hawaii seems to have saved the reef from an expected bleaching event because the chemical amounts were lowered, and the coral was less stressed when temperatures rose.
Quels ont été les avantages connexes de votre solution par rapport au développement durable?
Sugar cane resin is produced in a zero-carbon factory and shipped to us with carbon offsets. Sugar Cane resin is a byproduct of the sugar process, it was reused to make our tubes, eliminating the need for more petroleum-based plastic. The larger bottle we use are made from recycled milk jugs and all of our packing materials are recycled, biodegradable or just reused from someone shipping to us. Our gift bags use recycled jute and are made by impoverished women in India.
Durabilité : Décrivez la durabilité économique de votre solution.
We are in more than 2000 retail outlets currently. Once our products are introduced and we train the public, they sustain themselves. As a moral over money company, we have kept margins tight to insure access by all. The biggest challenge is affording all of the testing to meet regulations and to exceed our safety testing. I think the markets are ready for the three products we are discussing and there is really nothing equal to them anywhere. We have received grants and governmental subsidies in the past, we rely on market-based revenue.
Retour sur investissement : Combien a coûté la mise en œuvre de ces activités?
Each product costs a minimum of $50,000 to be market ready. That includes formulation, testing by FDA and/or EPA, new labels on the sugar cane resin tubes and then our third-party safety testing. We are far enough along in the process that we know we could launch at least two and maybe three of the products mentioned with your funding, within 6 months. We are done with most of the formulations and need to send for EPA certification as a best use product. We won't settle for less.
Comment pourrions-nous reproduire cette solution ailleurs avec succès?
We are small. Once we have enough impact on the market and have educated the consumers, the large companies will need to respond to the demand. That time is coming fast. They are starting to dabble in "better but still not good" ingredients, so the writing is on the wall. They are still fighting the change as their current position is wildly profitable. We would like to be the leaders and train them how to do what is "best" and not just get around the bans or trick the public with green washing or cover ups.