By 
Oris’s campaign to clean up the world’s oceans enters its next phase
Turning the tide
Oris is proud to introduce the Clean Ocean Limited Edition, a watch made in partnership with a pioneering new ocean conservation organisation turning plastic into energy
The statistics surrounding plastic in our ocean make for dif cult reading. The United Nations Environment Programme calculates that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean every year. That’s the equivalent of one garbage truck every minute. The UN believes 80 per cent of ocean litter is made of plastic, and that the costs to marine ecosystems is $8 billion.
According to some experts, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than sh, and an estimated 99 per cent of all seabirds will have ingested plastic. For too long, the world has turned a blind eye to this deeply troubling situation, but it’s now getting to the point where human life is under threat. Because of our position in the food chain, we are consuming dangerous substances – toxic materials stick to microplastics eaten by the sh that end up in our supermarkets. It’s time to turn the tide. It’s time to change the course of the Earth’s environmental history, before it’s too late.
Oris has been investing in and working with leading marine conservation organisations for a number of years. The independent Swiss watch company has a stated mission to bring change for the better and has adopted the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Now, Oris is proud to announce a new partnership with Paci c Garbage Screening, a pioneering young organisation that’s developing technology that will help keep the world’s water clean by capturing
plastic before it enters the ocean.
To highlight the partnership, Oris is also introducing the Clean Oceans Limited Edition, a version of the high-performance Aquis diver’s watch. It’s water-resistant to 30 bar (300 metres), and comes with a gradient blue dial and a uni-directional rotating bezel with an aqua blue ceramic insert, symbolising the beauty and importance of water.
A further symbol of what the watch represents comes in the form of a medallion made of recycled PET plastic set into the watch’s case back. Each of the 2,000 pieces produced will be presented in special boxes made of environmentally friendly algae.
‘The Oris Clean Oceans Limited Edition is a symbol of our commitment to ridding the world’s oceans of plastic,’ said Oris Joint Chief Executive Rolf Studer. ‘Oris continues to work with agencies for positive change, and we’re delighted to be working with Paci c Garbage Screening, whose innovative project will bring signi cant change for the better, in keeping with Oris’s mission.’
Taking out the trash
New Oris partner Pacific Garbage Screening is working on a prototype oating platform designed to clean up plastic from the world’s oceans
Current research indicates we have a serious plastic problem – our oceans are lling up with plastic waste. Irresponsible practices are making the problem worse, and all life on Earth is suffering.
The UN Environment Programme calculates that on average, a European consumes 11,000 microplastic particles a year through sh consumption. A 2016 report by European trade association PlasticsEurope estimates that by 2050, two billion tonnes of plastic will end up in the oceans every year, up from 322 million tonnes in 2015, if the amount dumped continues to grow at current rates.
What can be done about this? Clearly, businesses and individuals have a collective duty to consume more responsibly, but we also need big ideas that will help recover the current situation and repair some of the damage done to our oceans.
Oris is proud to announce a new partnership with a pioneering new organisation called Paci c Garbage Screening, an organisation working on a revolutionary solution that will help clean up our oceans.
The organisation’s concept is a oating platform positioned in rivers and estuaries that retrieves and recycles plastic litter, converting it into energy and bio-based products, such as biodegradable plastics.
The giant structure collects plastics, even microplastics, via a process called ‘inverted sedimentation’. Fins below the surface calm the currents pushing plastic waste under water so that it rises to the surface and the platform can skim it off (see below).
‘This is exactly the sort of inventive, game-changing solution our world’s oceans need,’ said Oris Joint Chief Executive Rolf Studer. ‘We’re proud to support Marcella and the Paci c Garbage Screening project, and extremely excited to see the concept develop. We believe that together, we can make a difference.’
It’s an ingenious idea. At the moment, the Paci c Garbage Screening team are working on a prototype they can test for proof of concept. Over the following pages, the organisation’s chief executive Marcella Hansch explains the vision in more detail.
A clear view
Paci c Garbage Screening’s CEO Marcella Hansch explains her vision to rid the world’s oceans of plastic
Marcella, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m an architect and the founder of the Paci c Garbage Screening (PGS) project.
What is Paci c Garbage Screening?
PGS is a project for cleaning up the oceans’ plastic waste. The idea was developed during my master thesis in architecture: a oating platform positioned within the ocean gyres (circular patterns of ocean currents) to lter plastics and microplastics. Two years ago, we founded a non-pro t association with some engaged young scientists to turn the idea into a reality – that organisation has become Paci c Garbage Screening.
What are the project’s goals?
We have two goals. The rst is to prove the idea and adapt the platform into a feasible prototype for rivers and estuaries. The second is to raise awareness of plastic pollution and to reduce plastic consumption worldwide.
What is the Paci c Garbage Screening platform and how does it work?
The platform is an anchored object, so it has no drive and needs no fuel, and works like an inverted sedimentation basin. Its architectural form calms down the ocean currents and then because of the calming and the low density of plastics, the plastic particles oat to the surface. There is no need for lter systems like nets. This means sh and other ocean life won’t be harmed.
Where will you put the platforms?
We know that around 80 per cent of plastics enter the oceans through 10 of the world’s rivers. We’ll do site analyses to make sure the platforms achieve maximum ef ciency and have the best possible impact on the oceans. The other 20 per cent is dumped by ships.
How long will it take to build?
At the moment, we’re in the design study phase and at the start of a research project. Within the next ve years, we are planning to do simulations, calculations and model testing. The rst step will be a feasibility study to prove the concept. The project will also determine how big the platform will be, and what materials we should use to make it as effective as possible.
When will the rst one be launched?
That depends on nancing and the results of the research project, but our goal is to launch the rst prototypes in the next ve years.
What will happen to the plastic it collects?
Plastic is not waste, but a resource on our planet. It should be used for sustainable recovery. We are currently researching how the platform will process the plastic it collects – it’s a critical part of the process.
How much plastic is there in the sea at the moment?
As there is no way to measure the exact amount of plastics in the oceans, all numbers are estimates. But experts have calculated that around 700 tons of plastics are entering the oceans every hour. That gure will grow unless we learn to control our consumption and the way plastic litter is managed.
We should all be very concerned, if not frightened by these gures.
“The oceans are the source of life and produce around 50 per cent of the Earth’s oxygen”
What’s the impact of plastic on the environment?
The plastic problem is already having a huge impact on our oceans and the food chain. The oceans are the source of life and produce around 50 per cent of the Earth’s oxygen. A huge amount of sh is already contaminated with plastics. It’s a global problem and the consequences are already noticeable all around the world.
Whose responsibility is it to sort this problem out?
We are all involved in the problem as consumers, and so we should all be responsible for solving the problem. The garbage patches themselves are beyond territorial waters, which means nobody has a legal responsibility for them. This is a problem in itself, although it means independent organisations can take action more easily.
What role can we play in solving it?
Everybody can and has to reduce the amount of plastic they consume every day!
How did the relationship with Oris come about?
We got in touch through the International Ocean Film Tour and started thinking about a partnership related to raising awareness of the importance of clean oceans. It was clear Oris is passionate about clean oceans.
What does the partnership involve?
We’re working on a campaign together to raise awareness of plastic pollution – we’re more powerful when we collaborate. The limited edition Oris watch will play a big part in educating and raising awareness.
And nally, what does it mean to you to go your own way?
To do what I love and to have a positive impact on our planet.
The toxic food chain
When microplastics absorb harmful substances they become toxic. When they enter the sea, they begin a journey that leads all the way to your dining table
Oris Clean Ocean Limited Edition
The Oris Clean Ocean Limited Edition is based on the Oris Aquis diver’s watch and features a medallion made of recycled PET plastic set into the case back
In detail
Case Multi-piece stainless steel case, uni-directional rotating bezel with aqua blue ceramic insert
Size 39.50 mm (1.555 inches)
Dial Aqua blue
Luminous material Hands and indices printed with Super-LumiNova®
Top glass Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-re ective coating inside
Case back Stainless steel, screwed, recycled PET medallion
Operating devices Stainless steel
screw-in security crown
Bracelet Multi-piece stainless steel bracelet with stainless steel security folding clasp with extension
Water resistance 30 bar (300 m)
Movement
Number Oris 733
Functions Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date window at 6 o’clock, instantaneous date, date corrector, ne timing device and stop-second
Winding Automatic
Power reserve 38 hours
Limited edition 2,000 pieces, each presented in a box with an outer shell made of environmentally friendly algae and a recycled plastic inlay
