Plastic is not “recyclable,” and over 90 percent of it — even the items put in blue cans — ends up in landfills.
Ryan Harris (center) holds court at AltaSea discussing how his company, ECObyRy, upcycles plastic waste. (photo: courtesy Ryan Harris)
Ryan Harris, a surfboard maker and founder of ECObyRy, developed an environmentally friendly solution to plastic waste. With the help of AltaSea, Harris is upcycling plastic pollution and turning it into useful products in San Pedro.
Harris, a surfboard entrepreneur, witnessed the problem in his daily life. He made surfboards and understood the waste created when he built one. With each six-pound surfboard made, over 12 pounds of excess material was unusable and not recyclable.
Harris also saw the plastic pollution in the local waters when he surfed and decided to do something about it. He launched ECOSS (The Educational Center of Sustainability in Surf), a nonprofit agency that transforms trash (sort, clean, shred, make) into usable products like bowls, planters, and coasters while educating the community and schools about the ocean.
ECOSS is one of the newest tenants at AltaSea, which provides research, education, and science towards the emerging blue economy. AltaSea, a nonprofit agency, is housed in the historic century-old warehouses along the waterfront. Their campus runs 35 acres and is the largest ocean technology hub in the United States.
On any given day, Harris can be found at AltaSea, giving plastic waste a new life. Old broken surf and paddle boards that are donated are made into new boards, saving them from the landfill. The new boards are upcycled pieces of art that are given a second chance on the waves instead of in the trash. Proceeds from the sales of the boards and upcycled plastic items are used to fund the nonprofit to cover expenses and supplies. Harris uses large shredding machines to grind down plastic. Food-safe resin is mixed with the plastic particles to make decorative and practical products for sale on his website.
“I am figuring out a way to break down plastic waste that is not recyclable and turn it into something useful,” states Harris. “I am now able to accept plastic waste like water bottles with numbers 1 or 2 on the bottom from the public to upcycle it into something else. I also accept donations of surf and paddleboards.”
Harris has contagious optimism about his work and the protection of the ocean. His next goal is to make benches out of plastic waste, and he envisions them at South Bay schools. He also plans to create planks out of plastic in the shape of wood boards, which can produce various products. As the momentum of his nonprofit increases, he is thankful to have interns this summer who will be assisting him in running the machines that break down the plastic.
Harris spends as much time in the ocean as possible, surfing and testing his upcycled boards. He has seen the trash in the water and beaches and continues fighting against it. Whether he is picking up trash in the water, organizing a beach cleanup, or upcycling broken surfboards and plastic waste, he is making a positive impact on our oceans and our community.
To learn more about donating clean plastic goods, surfboards, or buying upcycled products, visit ecobyry.com or ecoss.org. spt
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