Bude-based Cleaner Seas Group has secured nearly £1 million investment from business angels, institutional investors and high net worth individuals to help further develop its innovative washing machine technology, designed to significantly reduce microplastic pollution.
This latest investment exceeds Cleaner Seas’ initial target of £700K. The company has now launched a crowdfunding campaign seeking to raise a further £460K from members of the public who share its ambition to tackle the harmful level of microplastics going into the world’s oceans.
There are an estimated 1.4 million trillion plastic microfibres in our oceans, which is devastating marine life and also impacting human health and wellbeing. Earlier this year microplastics were discovered for the first time in human blood and lungs.
The Cleaner Seas-designed retro-fit and integrated filter, which is compatible with all washing machines, captures and recycles microfibres as small as one micron. The self-generated filter requires no mains power and includes a recyclable cartridge which prevents up to 700,000 harmful microfibres from being released into the environment every time a washing machine is used.
With a share of its investment funds going towards building its B2B sales team, Cleaner Seas has announced a key appointment with Jeremy Skelton joining as its new operations manager. Skelton previously worked for Harrods and has in depth experience in fulfilment and warehouse operations. A passionate advocate of clean oceans, he initially invested in Cleaner Seas before joining the company in this new role.
CEO Dave Miller said: “We’re very excited with the success of our last investment round and we hope to carry this momentum forward in our current crowdfunding campaign. There’s been immense public support for our product which helps address the unprecedented level of microplastics in our oceans, an issue that impacts on all of us. Through this crowdfund we are giving people an opportunity to invest in our innovative system, which has a 90% plus capture rate removing plastic waste particles as small as one micron from a washing cycle.
“We’re also delighted to welcome Jeremy Skelton to the Cleaner Seas team as our new operations manager. Not only is he a highly experienced professional, but he also shares our passion for clean oceans and has invested in our mission. We look forward to working with Jeremy, who is keen to play his part in addressing the impact that microplastic pollution is having on our planet.”
