Source: Twitter/OceanSole1

World’s first car made from discarded flip-flops

Kenyan non-profit Ocean Sole turns discarded flip-flops into stunning art and functional products, in turn raising visual awareness of the scale of the problem.

Flip-flop car sculpture highlights the problem

Ocean Sole turn flip-flops into art and functional products and in turn raise visual awareness of the problem at hand. By creating these sculptures, they are creating employment in a country that has over 40% unemployment rate. But they are also sending a message about how we can help our planet, our oceans and people, through creating beautiful art that portray an important message about the state of our oceans.

We support men, women, youth (18 to 35), fisherman and other entrepreneurs that are all part of our eco-system. Whether picking up flip-flops that we pay for or using our waste for up-cycled products such as mattresses, our community engagement has been strong and is at the core of our business and hearts.”
“Our business is all about the community… We support men, women, youth (18 to 35), fisherman and other entrepreneurs that are all part of our eco-system. Whether picking up flip-flops that we pay for or using our waste for up-cycled products such as mattresses, our community engagement has been strong and is at the core of our business and hearts.” Source: oceansoleonline.com

Ocean Sole believe their actions must make a difference

Ocean Sole is a social enterprise that upcycles washed up flip-flops found along the beaches and waterways in Kenya. Inspired by the toys children were making out of the flip-flop debris, Julie Church, the Ocean Sole Founder, encouraged their mothers to collect, wash, and cut the discarded flip-flops into colourful products to sell at local Kenyan Markets as another means of income for their families.

Ocean Sole’s social enterprise positively impacts over a 1,000 Kenyans through the collection of flip-flops and direct employment. They provide steady income to nearly 100 low-income Kenyans in their company. They recycled over half a million flip-flops in 2017 and aim to recycle a million this year. They contribute over 10-15% of their revenue to beach cleanups, vocational and educational programmes as well as conservation efforts.

Ocean Sole use their social enterprise to pay bonuses to employees, invest in a welfare programme that allows a zero return in funds to all employees to help facilitate payments for educating their children, buying land and other means. Ocean Sole believe their actions must make a difference to the plight of our oceans and the company ethos is to give back what they earn to change the lives of many – through employment, education, and meals.

Source: OceanSoleOnline

They provide steady income to nearly 100 low-income Kenyans in their company. They recycled over half a million flip-flops in 2017 and aim to recycle a million this year. They contribute over 10-15% of their revenue to beach cleanups, vocational and educational programmes as well as conservation efforts.
Ocean Sole’s social enterprise positively impacts over a 1,000 Kenyans through the collection of flip-flops and direct employment. They provide steady income to nearly 100 low-income Kenyans in their company. They recycled over half a million flip-flops in 2017 and aim to recycle a million this year. They contribute over 10-15% of their revenue to beach cleanups, vocational and educational programmes as well as conservation efforts. Source: Facebook/OceanSole
Each piece is made with care and love, the story of each product begins as a flip-flop on someones feet, then it’s thrown out and ends up in the ocean. Ocean Sole collect it, clean it, compress it and then carve it into beautiful art to be revived again with love. Through the process, oceans are cleaned, jobs are provided, masterpieces are made, and in the end, you get something truly special and unique.
The entire process is manual not machine. Each piece is made with care and love, the story of each product begins as a flip-flop on someones feet, then it’s thrown out and ends up in the ocean. Ocean Sole collect it, clean it, compress it and then carve it into beautiful art to be revived again with love. Through the process, oceans are cleaned, jobs are provided, masterpieces are made, and in the end, you get something truly special and unique. Source: Facebook/OceanSole
Each piece is made with care and love, the story of each product begins as a flip-flop on someones feet, then it’s thrown out and ends up in the ocean. Source: Facebook/OceanSole
Ocean Sole collect it, clean it, compress it and then carve it into beautiful art to be revived again with love. Source: Facebook/OceanSole
Through the process, oceans are cleaned, jobs are provided, masterpieces are made, and in the end, you get something truly special and unique. Source: Facebook/OceanSole
Flip flop car highlights ocean trash problem. This car made from flip-flops doesn’t run, but you get the idea. It’s to draw attention to the situation. The sculpture has been bought by a car dealership in America. Source: Facebook/BrightVibes

Follow ocean sole

Find out more about Ocean Sole and flip-flop art on their website (where you can also choose from a wide range of sculptures, from tiny ornaments to giant commissions), or on their social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

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