We live in a world where plastic is predominantly newly produced and thrown to waste, and large amounts of it even end up in our soil and oceans. The vision of Tide Ocean SA, abbreviated #tide®, is to create a world where plastic gets upcycled instead of newly produced and thrown to waste. In short, #tide® wants to build a circular economy for plastic.

What started as an ambitious project by watch supplier Braloba, soon grew into a full-fledged business. "We could have simply continued as a side project, but the demand was so high that we decided to establish #tide® as a separate company five years ago," Thomas Schori, Founder and CEO of #tide® recalls.

Creating social and environmental impact

One of the company's major accomplishments has been the establishment of a sourcing network in coastal areas, with a central hub in Thailand as well as partnering with organizations in the Philippines, Mexico or Malaysia. "Together we collect plastic waste, compensate collectors per kilo and create both social and environmental impact," Schori emphasizes.

In many regions, plastic waste is inadequately managed, getting swept into rivers and ultimately, the oceans. "We're not just scooping plastic out of the water; we're turning off the tap," explains Schori. This is why #tide® has set up collection points in places like Thailand, allowing people to return plastic similarly to how many in Europe return bottles to grocery stores. #tide® makes sure the collected waste is sorted accordingly and turned into granulates, which they sell to companies looking for sustainable materials.

Transparency as part of the Business Model

Building a sustainable business model wasn't straightforward. One of the main hurdles was constructing a reliable supply chain. "We had to build a system to track the material and trace its origin," Schori explains. This level of transparency was crucial, especially for high-quality industries like Swiss watchmaking, where quality cannot be compromised. To ensure excellence, Tide Ocean collaborates with institutions like IWK (Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing) in Rapperswil and employs top technical experts.

Quality, brand trust and transparency are the foundation for this type of business model. "We want people to know where the plastic in their product comes from," he emphasizes. #tide's strategy is not just about recycling plastic but also raising awareness for responsible plastic consumption. They aim to be a disruptive force in the industry by promoting their label so that consumers can recognize the value of recycled plastic products.

Schori recalls surprising inquiries from large global companies, such as one of the world's biggest car manufacturers. "We wondered if we were being pranked," he laughs.

Also retailers like Aldi or Migros collaborate with the scaling company: Migros started with a limited edition for the "Handy" dish soap bottle that would usually be in their signature color, orange. When the company switched to blue for the recycled version, that was a strong sign that Migros was committed to this project, as changing the color would be a potential risk to their revenue. However, some customers were upset that the recycled bottle was only a limited edition, wondering if Migros wasn't taking sustainability seriously. Fortunately, the product was an instant hit, prompting Migros to add it to their lineup permanently.

Tide Ocean SA

Building a Circular Economy for Plastic