SaveUsFromPlastics: A Sea Turtle Made of Recycled Plastic That Makes a Great Thai Souvenir

By now, this Tai Tai has covered two eco-friendly Thai brands that produce high-quality products made from recycled plastic: Little Ocean Heroes and MAT-ER. Hence, I was super excited and decided to write about SaveUsFromPlastic when I saw their colourful sea turtle smartphone or sunglasses stands that are completely made from recycled plastic.

“SaveUsFromPlastics is a family recycling project. We are a family from Barcelona living in Phuket since August 2018. When we moved here, we were surprised to go to the beach and find so much rubbish, most of the time during the monsoon season. Seeing that, we wondered what we could do to help. We wanted to reduce the number of plastic items by collecting, cleaning, and then reusing them. Long story short, after much research, study and investment, we decided to start collecting plastic bottle lids made of HDPE (plastic type number 2) and create some new and useful products with the shape of some endangered animals around Thailand. This is how our eco hobby turned into a family project. SaveUsFromPlastics was born in mid 2020.” Edouard, Founder of SaveUsFromPlastics, told me how and when it all began.  

Knowing from first-hand experience that it’s not easy to work with families, I asked Edouard how this project has impacted the family.

“So far, my wife and I are the ones who are directly involved in the project, but fortunately, some friends and neighbours are supporting us by bringing their plastic lids. To be very honest with you, when we started the project, our two girls were 12 years old. They were very enthusiastic about the project and were involved in many steps of the process. However, as they have grown up, the novelty effect has diminished. These days, at the age of 15, they even felt embarrassed when their friends ask them about the turtles!” Well, as a parent I understand nothing we do would be regarded as “cool” in the eye of our teenage children. However, I am quite certain one day Edouard’s girls will feel nothing but appreciative and proud of their meaningful family project.

Currently, SaveUsFromPlastics offers one product for sale. Their first and most popular product is a sea turtle holder that can hold either a phone or a pair of sunglasses, and comes in a variety of colours. It is simply a stunning and delightful decoration. However, SaveUsFromPlastics will soon be releasing another product, a cup decorated with a fierce-looking shark that can be used as a pen holder or toothbrush stand.

A Truly One-of-a-Kind Eco Product

“At the moment, we are only offering the sea turtle holder while waiting for a new semi-automatic injection machine that will facilitate the production of the shark-cup.  Each unit is produced individually. After collecting, cleaning, sorting the lids by colours, we shred them into small flakes which are put into our injection machine before transferring the melted plastic into the mole. Our production capacity is 6 units per hour, so it is a very labour-intensive process. We sell our sea turtles for THB400 each and we supply them in bulk to hotels, shops and resorts.

Dream Big When You Have a Big Dream

When asked if there’s any future development in the pipeline besides the gorgeous sea turtles, Edouard shared his big dream with me.  

“We are trying to gain more visibility and grow our customer base through shops and hotels. Also, we are trying to market our products as corporate gifts and memorable souvenirs from Thailand. Is it unreal to dream that all Thai souvenirs that tourists bring home after visiting the Land of Smiles are made of recycled materials? In one way, they would be supporting the local economy while reducing rubbish, while bringing home something nice and useful.”

“We are working towards growing a local team and investing in more machines. The more products we sell, the more lids will be recycled, and more eco actions will be taken. Our idea is to keep creating new products with the goal of being functional and aesthetically pleasing while also reminding our customers about the plights of endangered animals and marine life here in Thailand. We consider it to be a wonderful way to address the plastic pollution issue while creating unique souvenirs from Thailand that people will treasure forever.”

Take These Adorable Sea Turtles Home

If you cannot find SaveUsFromPlastic eco sea turtles or shark cups at your hotel, or you live in Thailand and simply want to brighten up your home with one, contact Edouard on IG @SaveUsFromPlastics, or browse their collection on their website, www.saveusfromplastics.com.