WE ARE LEARNING AND GROWING EACH DAY, FINDING NEW WAYS TO ACTUALIZE OUR DESIRE TO BE CONSCIOUS OF OUR IMPACT AND INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD.
In August of 2021, Seaside Weavers was honored to be one of the recipients of the Zero Hero Award.
This Award is given to businesses who have adopted innovative Zero Waste practices by Zero Waste Humboldt.
Winning this recognition has Inspired us to to commit more fully to bringing this philosophy to the forefront of our business.
What is Zero Waste?
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The community response to our product and business model has been incredibly heartening. We’ve come to understand that we are weaving more than just doormats, we are weaving joy, beauty and connection. One of the things that inspires us the most is the feedback we get from people when they see our MerMats. They are very enthusiastic about the reclaimed aspect. The mats make them feel happy and hopeful. They express that they feel good about buying something of quality that aligns with their values.
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Why was it important for Seaside Weavers to adopt a Zero Waste philosophy?
It is the only business model that makes sense to us. These times call for us to be mindful of our impact on the world and to not only be visionary and creative but to broaden our definition of success and abundance to include, at the forefront, the health and well being of our communities and the planet.
We try to embody the zero waste philosophy daily in all the little choices we make and in the way we relate to and honor life itself. We honor the rope by extending its usefulness. The rope has outlived its use for the fishermen but it still has a lifetime of spirited service to offer as a MerMat.
How does it feel to win this award?
It is very exciting. It has inspired us to think deeply about who we are and how we can continue to improve upon our zero waste efforts. We are seeing that we have the ability to be influential and inspirational by sharing the conscious and sustainable aspects of our business.
The zero hero award recoginition speaks to the heart of what really matters to us. We appreciate that we are being honored for the way we are operating a circular business model that has its roots in caring for the planet and uplifting the community while supporting ourselves.
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What are a few of the most successful Zero Waste efforts your business has adopted?
Seaside Weavers is reclaiming crab pot rope and repurposing it. We are sourcing our rope from our local fishermen who are happy to have an alternative to the landfill. We are up-cycling one mile of rope, which weighs 280 pounds for every 35 MerMats we weave. Thus far, we have woven and sold over 105 miles and 14.72 tons of reclaimed rope and this is just our first year! This number is updated weekly on our website.
The lead weights that come attached to the rope are returned back to the fishermen for reuse.
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Our mailing packaging is often reused cardboard and is completely recyclable.
Because supporting each other is sustainable and we are invested in keeping the abundance flowing, we donate 100% of the profits from the sale of our logo hats to the Commercial Fishermen’s Wives of Humboldt.
In wanting to honor every last bit, we are actively looking for ways to reuse or pass on to someone who can use the scraps of rope that are too small to be woven.
Thank you Heather Shelton of the Times Standard for giving us a chance to put into words that which had previously only been in our hearts.
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Read about the Zero Waste Award in the Times Standard here
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Giving Back With Gratitude!
In our circular business model we intend to create multiple opportunity streams of sharing, receiving and supporting with our community.
The rope used to make our MerMats has been sourced from local fishermen. We honor them, their families and all the hard dangerous work that goes into sustainably fishing our beautiful coast. We honor the role the Commercial Fisherman's Wives play in educating the community, supporting & working to build fisherman family relief and scholarship funds. We honor the fish who nourish our bodies and spirits and we honor you for purchasing a hat and helping to close the loop of gratitude. Thank you.
One way we express our gratitude is by donating 100% of the proceeds from our super cool Seaside Weaver swag… which thus far has only consisted of hats… but behind the scenes we are cooking up T-shirts and hoodies made out of reclaimed plastic…. Along with other fun swag items… all of which will be offered with 100% of the proceeds going back into the fishing community.
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With the purchase of this hat you are helping to support the Commercial Fisherman's Wives of Humboldt. We donate 100% of the proceeds ... a full $20 per MerHat ... from the sale of these Seaside Weaver hats to the Commercial Fishermen’s Wives of Humboldt.
Joyfully keeping the abundance flowing. 🦀 Thank you for helping.
WE'RE IN LOVE WITH A PLANET
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Relationships take time, playfulness, thoughtfulness and creativity to build and maintain…
They teach us how to go beyond our little selves and invest our love in meaningful ways that support the growth and wellbeing of ourselves and the beloved we are in relationship with.
We are learning about how The Zero Waste Philosophy invites us to prioritize building our relationship with this glorious planet.
She invests so much of her love into providing every single thing we need to grow us up into healthy, mature, open-hearted humans.
We want to be the kind of humans who consider Her needs in the millions of choices we make everyday.
… And if we can do so from a place of humble gratitude and reciprocity … bonus soul development occurs.
Thanks for the framework Zero Waste Humboldt, and thanks for inviting us into a deeper more conscious relationship with our Beloved Planet.
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