Electrolux launches ‘Vac from the Sea’ plastics recycling initiative
30 June 2010
The Pacific Ocean is polluted with the largest floating garbage islands in the world. Electrolux intends to gather plastic from the oceans of the world and turn it into a number of vacuum cleaners. The initiative, Vac from the Sea, aims to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution and at the same time combat the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances.
There are plastic islands, some several times the size of the state of Texas, floating in our oceans. Yet on land, we struggle to get hold of enough recycled plastics to meet the demand for sustainable vacuum cleaners. What the world needs now is a better plastic karma, says Cecilia Nord, vice president, Floor Care Environmental and Sustainability Affairs at Electrolux.
The plan is to make a limited number of vacuum cleaners from plastic debris harvested from the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Baltic and North Sea. The techniques for harvesting the plastic will vary depending on location – from diving after it to scooping it up from the surface.
More recycling directly translates into more sustainable appliances and homes. Our engineers have managed to get our green range vacuum cleaners up to 70 percent recycled plastic but our ultimate vision is of course 100 percent, and for all ranges, says Jonas Magnusson, product marketing manager at Electrolux.
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