Celebrating Earth Month with: Mares

At Divers Direct, we choose our partners and vendors carefully. Considering many aspects, we also take into account the company’s carbon footprint and commitment to sustainability. As divers, we see what’s happening in the oceans and understand how important ocean health is to the sustainability of the planet. 

With a focus on reducing the use of unnecessary plastic in their company by 70%, Mares is dedicated to investing in our planet and reducing their environmental impact. Anyone running a business knows that’s a challenge and Mares is rising to it admirably. 

Sometimes, we all get in a rut and do something because it’s what we’ve always done, or even because it’s what everyone else does. That’s not okay when you’re talking about the health of our planet, and Mares understands that. It takes commitment to step up and make changes, and that’s exactly what Mares is doing.

Does Mares really need an outer plastic film coating on their packaging?

Showing true ingenuity and stepping outside the box, it took courage to ask that question; however, once it was asked, the resounding answer was: No. Not something we all think about regularly, but sometimes it’s the little things that make a big impact. So once it was realized that they were putting an unnecessary plastic coating on the exterior of their packaging, they stopped doing it where it made sense.

Does Mares need to use PVC packaging stickers?

When they realized this answer was no as well, Mares moved to paper stickers, because sometimes, it’s that simple.

What did Mares do to reduce the negative impact their mesh product packaging has on the environment?

They made them reusable. So, after you buy the product and take it home, you can use the bag to transport your gear or collect trash on a dive or at the beach. The front panel is created from a bioplastic and the back is a woven R-PET panel constructed using PET from recycled plastic bottles. Way to go in not only reducing the plastic out there in the world, but also in repurposing what’s already been generated. 

Do divers really need another plastic mask box?

Occasionally, yes. But for the most part…no. So Mares turned the industry on its side by introducing a biodegradable mask box made from sugar cane pulp. Did you know their mask box biodegrades in the soil in just 90 days? Yeah - that’s ingenuity. They are also easier to produce, requiring less water and creating less pollution. Everybody wins with this little gem. Still rolling out this change, Mares is aiming to switch all mask boxes over to the new sugar cane pulp boxes.