Back in 2012 on a surf trip to a remote corner of Western Sumatra, Indonesia, we experienced first hand some of the reasons behind the ocean plastic crisis. Arriving early in the morning after taking a night ferry from the remote town of Tapaktuan we arrived at the Island of Similue.
As the boat began to dock we noticed passengers throwing plastic bags containing their waste over the side of the boat. Initially thinking that it was a great way to speed up rubbish collection and that there was a boat underneath collecting the rubbish. When we looked over the side of the ferry we saw all of this rubbish was being thrown straight into the sea.
Around this time we were working as beach lifeguards on the surf beaches of North Cornwall, UK. Spending the summers keeping people safe in the sea, educating about the dangers of rip currents and assisting the coastguard with rescues close to shore and in hard to reach areas.
The winter months were spent lifeguarding in Western Australia and surfing in Indonesia.
Fast forward to 2024 and we are now based in Portugal where we are still driven by learning from everything the ocean has to offer. Taking what we learnt on the beach to influence the development of products for use on the ocean.
Ulu was formed to help tackle the ocean plastic crisis. Making products from materials that are harmful to the ocean. While we learn about how we can help to protect the ocean we help to educate others on how to minimise their impact on the sea.