An orthopedic surgeon and a nuclear physicist, with a history in snacks, walk into a Starbucks….

Two longtime friends, and passionate divers had been struggling with the increase of ocean plastic pollution. That day, they parted believing that somehow potato chips could one day be packaged the same way as mother nature does it – with stone. However, in order to achieve their dream of packaging snacks in stone, they had to somehow invent a way to make rocks float and flex.

As 2022 comes to a close, we are proud to say that we have got it figured out…but it has not always been easy. Together we have navigated choppy waters challenged by waves of COVID, war, inflation and the collapse of global logistics. Experts doubted that we could ever make stone flexible, lightweight and yet strong. Skeptics questioned the optimism and the youth of our team, who continue to collaborate while being scattered around the world. Despite it all, we kept our heads down, worked hard, and worked together.

Last month we made that very first bag of potato chips Made From Stone and presented it to the world at COP27, the United Nations climate conference in Egypt. Made From Stone can not only float and flex, but it can also degrade and be recycled. It can condition agricultural soil or reduce ocean acidity, and most importantly, each product Made From Stone contributes to major reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases.

We are proud to say that today, millions of items Made From Stone are being produced in 10 plants on five continents, using local stone and creating local jobs. In 2023, you will see more and more products Made From Stone on supermarket shelves near you. By supporting your favorite brands, you will be working alongside us to take a meaningful step toward making the world a cleaner and healthier place for us all.

In 2023, I look forward to seeing hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic and CO2 removed, and billions of products made. I look forward to working with more brands, collaborating with new government partners, and welcoming a new passionate generation of Okeanos team members as we continue to expand globally.

We are thankful to those who made us better by challenging our early ideas and forcing us to rethink our assumptions, it has only made us better. We are grateful for those partners who patiently allowed us to fail again and again until we were able to succeed. We will not forget those that had the faith to extend the use of their labs and plants to us when we had nothing but an idea; you made our dream to deliver the first realistic, global, and scalable solution to reduce plastic and CO2 today possible.

All of us at Okeanos wish you a safe and peaceful holiday, and look forward to a 2023 with less plastic and lower CO2 emissions.

Florencio Cuétara

Chairman/CEO

Okeanos Group, LLC

While we’ve been celebrating many of our achievements publicly, the Okeanos Innovation team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to develop new technologies and improve our existing products. Here are a few key announcements to look out for in 2023:

• Meet Made From Stone in person at Plastindia. Find us from 2/1-2/5 on the 1st floor – Hall 2, Booth #B5 in New Delhi.
• Stay tuned in Q2 for news on a brand new all-natural degradant
• By Q3, clients will have the option to include post-consumer recycled material (PCR) in Made From StoneTM compounds

To keep up with our innovation announcements in 2023, visit our news page!

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“Understanding the human impact on the environment has always been something of interest to me. When I was younger, I didn’t quite understand how I could transition this passion into a career. That changed when I decided to pursue a Master of Science in Sustainable Business. Although I am very proud of graduating with this master’s degree, I am even more proud of leveraging my life experience, passion and education into a job that gives me a chance to measurably make a difference here at Okeanos” – Conrick Gallagher, Partnerships Director .

Want to join Conrick and our growing global team of passionate, innovative, curious and driven do-ers? Be part of our integral mission to create a
cleaner, healthier planet

To see more current open positions, visit Okeanos.jobs!

Bioterra is an additive developed by Okeanos to convert PE and PP into biodegradable material through oxidation. So, how does it work?

A product like a bottle or barrier film, containing Bioterra will disintegrate until its molecular weight is low enough to be digested by microorganisms, who then recycle it back into nature.

Paired with products Made From Stone, the addition of the Bioterra additive will encourage degradation of the remaining portion of polymer significantly faster in the presence of oxygen than traditional plastics. This results in the release of calcium carbonate, which will help enrich the local environment and control rising pH levels in arable lands.

So why use Bioterra?

Get in touch with our team at trade@madefromstone.com to learn more about the benefits of Bioterra

Since 1900, the Earth has warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit), impacting every ecosystem and species on the planet. In 2015, it was agreed in the Paris Agreement that society needs to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to prevent further impacts. So why is limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius important, and can we realistically get there?

Keeping temperatures from climbing higher will help save the world’s coral reefs, preserve the Arctic protective sea ice layer, lessen extreme weather events, and prevent catastrophic sea level rise that could demolish island populations, displacing millions.

The Washington Post and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research recently examined 1,200 scenarios for climate change over the coming century by studying models produced by the world’s leading climate scientists. Of the 1,200 scenarios, there are now just 230 pathways left to remaining below 1.5 degree Celsius by 2100. We need to take drastic measures today.

Okeanos’ Made From Stone technology makes it possible to significantly reduce the carbon emissions of everyday products by more than 50%. This impact is immediate, and the reduction of GHG emissions will contribute to slowing a warming climate.

To learn more about how Made From Stone technology reduces emissions, contact our sustainability team at partnerships@madefromstone.com

World leaders gathered in Uruguay at the beginning of December to discuss the first legally binding treaty to address the global plastic problem. What’s in the first draft and will it make a difference?

When the 1,800 members of the International Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution met in Punta del Este, there were echoed calls for restrictions on single-use plastic specifically targeted toward packaging & consumer goods, support of circular economies, as well as international standards to monitor production.

However, the issue of determining how binding these proposed restrictions would be is still on the table. While some countries are proposing outright bans on “problem plastics” and chemicals, plastic industry coalitions, which include some of the world’s largest brands and manufacturers are focused on recycling targets intended to deflect from the amount of plastic they’re continuing to produce.

Which reporting format this treaty will take is also yet to be determined. Some support common global regulations, while others prefer to follow the model of the Paris Climate Agreement, leaving countries to determine their own national action plans. The goal is to announce an agreed-upon treaty in 2024. Until then, Okeanos will be making our voices heard on all these issues.

To learn more about our legislative efforts, visit our Government Affairs page here

Did you know that women account for only 39% of the total workforce? In this issue of Set In Stone, we’re breaking down Okeanos’ commitment to Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender Equality.

According to the UN, “gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. There has been progress over the last decades, but the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.”

Okeanos is committed to doing our part to ensure that women are offered equal opportunities, prioritizing female leadership throughout the company, and particularly championing women in STEM roles.

To learn more about our sustainability goals, click here

Each year, the Okeanos team votes on the Rockstar of the year, honoring the teammate that best embodies the passion, curiosity, and ethos of Okeanos. This year, it’s our honor to introduce you to Conrick Gallagher, our Partnerships Director

Congrats! Tell us what this recognition means to you!

l am honored to be recognized by the people I have the pleasure of working alongside. Each and everyone of us at Okeanos have so many reasons to celebrate, we have all accomplished a great deal over these past few years. We all share a common goal, a goal that is bigger than any one person. Having the opportunity to represent a real solution to the environmental crisis, something that has never been done or perceived as attainable, is truly special and I have my amazing team to thank for that.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

I believe we all share a responsibility to make an individual effort to leave our planet better than the way we found it. Okeanos has given me the opportunity to do exactly that, every day. So, to answer that question simply, it is my job!

What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional? 

Understanding human impact on the environment has always been something of interest to me. At a young age I did not quite understand how I could transition this passion into a career. That changed when I decided to pursue a Master of Science in Sustainable Business. Although I am very proud of graduating with this master’s degree, I am even more proud of leveraging my life experience, passion and education into a job that gives me a chance to measurably make a difference… in other words achieve what I have always wanted to do with my professional career.   

What advice would you give to those entering the field of Sustainability?

Take advantage of every opportunity to further your education in this field. Both fortunately and unfortunately, the field of sustainability is relatively new – so we are all working and learning alongside one another to better the world around us. Developing climate strategies for our very uncertain future may sound daunting – and it is in a way, but working on and implementing those strategies are beyond gratifying. 

If you could switch jobs with someone else at Okeanos, who would it be and why?

Well, first I would like to say I am more than happy with the position I am in right now! But for the sake of the question, I would say someone on our innovation or technical sales teams. At our core we are an innovation company and being able to push our development of the next generation of Made From Stone products must be a very rewarding role to hold. 

What’s something about you that not many people know?

Through my middle and high school years, my family had the opportunity to live in four countries: United States, Brazil, Italy, & England. Having spent my childhood immersed in different cultures, living abroad expanded my understanding of the world at a very impressionable age. I am extremely fortunate to have had this opportunity. The experiences I had gave me a perspective that has translated well working for a very globally focused company.