Ogyre removes ocean plastic with fisher network
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In Italy, Antonio Augeri and Andrea Faldella founded Ogyre in 2020 to address ocean pollution by building a network of local fishers.
The two men, a sailor and a surfer, began by testing their model in Liguria and Salerno, Italy, before expanding to other countries. Ogyre now employs over 200 fishers across Italy, Brazil, Indonesia, and Senegal, who collect both floating and seabed waste during their regular work and dedicated cleanup trips.
The company pays fishers for their efforts, supplementing their income and providing them with necessary safety equipment. Once collected, the waste is weighed, photographed, and recorded on Ogyre’s platform to ensure traceability. Ogyre then works with local infrastructure to recycle as much of the collected material as possible, sending what cannot be recycled to controlled disposal facilities. Ogyre also partners with companies, including the German bank N26, that fund the cleanup efforts and incorporate the results into their sustainability reports.
While 90 percent of the collected waste is plastic, the specific types of trash vary by region, allowing Ogyre to tailor its recycling and disposal strategies. The founders emphasize that preventing waste from entering the ocean remains a crucial goal alongside cleanup efforts.
