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New High-quality Sunglass StartUp is Cleaning up the Ocean

Norton Point

Norton Point is an eyewear brand based on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Plastic flowing into our oceans is one of our planet’s greatest environmental challenges and Norton Point has chosen to become part of the solution. They developed the first line of eyewear made from recovered high-density-polyethylene ocean plastics.

Norton Point is founded by Rob Ianelli, who was a participant in the 2007 Babson Business Edge, a three-week summer program for students earning non-business degrees at other colleges.  Babson Business Edge participants were introduced to the fundamentals of business concepts through coursework, hands-on experience, and case studies.

The Problem

Each year 8 Million metric tons of plastic enters the world’s oceans, drastically altering the delicate balance for marine life. Over 80% of this ocean plastic originates from land based sources.

If nothing is done to combat the flow of ocean plastics into waterways and the sea by 2050 there will be more plastics in the ocean than fish.

Norton Point wants to Sea Plastic Differently™.

The Solution

As a company, Norton Point’s mission is to create a value chain for the reuse of ocean plastic by selling fashionable, high-quality eyewear. They aren’t just making eyewear but also pledging to remove 1 pound of plastic for every 1 pair of sunglasses they sell to drastically increase the rate at which we can utilize the material through the 1 to 1 Pledge.

Norton Point has been exclusively endorsed by Ocean Conservancy for their world toward eliminating the global issue of ocean plastic.  They have also chosen to give back 5% of net profits to global clean-up, education, and remediation practices.

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