Background

Alasdair Mitchell, founder of Ocean Plastic Pots

Ally Mitchell is the founder of Ocean Plant Pots, circular economy business. A former North Sea saturation diver – which involved him spending up to 4 weeks at a time living in a diving chamber – Ally founded the business after salvaging a ship filled with waste plastic off the west coast of Scotland during the first lockdown in 2020.

Horrified by the sheer amount of plastic that he saw in the ship, as well as what he’d witnessed first-hand on previous dives, Ally set out to find another use for the waste plastic and discarded fishing gear he would go on to collect.

 

Initially manufacturing plant pots by hand in his garden shed, Ally sold them at an Edinburgh market before demand saw him bring on a Scotland-based manufacturing partner. His range of Ocean Plastic Pots are now sold online via his website, and through retailers across the UK, including Waitrose and Bloom & Wild.

After winning RHS Chelsea’s inaugural Sustainable Garden Product of the Year in 2021, Ally and his plant pots are back in the running for 2022, and he was recently awarded a Points of Light award by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, recognising his outstanding contribution to the community through Ocean Plastic Pots and his worked was featured in the V&A Dundee - Scotland's design museum.

In 2023 he has worked with the island communities of Muck, Eigg, Rum, Canna, Coll & Skye on the west coast of Scotland. To recycle rope and net from beach cleans on 6 Scottish islands.

 

What is Ocean Plastic Pots?

Ocean Plastic Pots was inspired by Ally Mitchell’s passion and determination to help turn the tide on the large volume of plastic found in our seas, causing grave harm to the future of our planet.

The company produces a range of durable plant pots made from recycled rope and fishing net that has been salvaged from Scottish ports and more recently Scottish beaches.

The pots can be used both indoors and outdoors and come in an expanding range of sizes and colours. While durable and built to last, they can be recycled again after use, positively contributing to the circular economy.

This year they have also launched the first garden tool in the world with an Ocean Plastic Handle.

 

Ocean Plastic Pots highlights

• Ocean Plastic Pots won the inaugural Sustainable Garden Product of the Year Award at the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and has been nominated again for 2022
• The pots are made from discarded fishing rope and gear collected from Edinburgh’s Dunbar Harbour and coasts around the UK
• A proud contributor to the circular economy, each Ocean Plastic Pot provides a 26g saving on carbon emissions and can be recycled again after use
• Ocean Plastic Pots contributes to Ghost Fishing UK, a charity dedicated to the removal of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear from oceans and coasts across the UK

You can catch Ocean Plastic Pots on stand D32 at the Spirit of Christmas Fair this year at Olympia London. Book your tickets today!