WALLENIUS SOL supports CleanSea
Every hour, the equivalent of more than five bathtubs of plastic wash up along Sweden’s west coast. Through its collaboration with CleanSea, WALLENIUS SOL aims to actively contribute to cleaning Swedish coastal waters from plastic and debris.
CleanSea is a Swedish initiative founded by twins Lukas and Mikaela Julher. Their mission is to protect marine life and ensure a future for our oceans by removing plastic and waste from Sweden’s coastlines. In addition to shoreline clean-ups, CleanSea also organises surface and diving operations to clear debris from the seabed.
“Many people don’t see the extent of it, because the most public and visible areas are often cleaned by local councils, but the reality is that as much as 700-800 tonnes of plastic wash up on Sweden’s west coast every year. In 25 years, it’s estimated there will be more plastic than fish in the sea, and millions of marine animals die as a result each year,” says Mikaela Julher, founder of CleanSea.
WALLENIUS SOL adopts a bay
Far out in the northern archipelago of Bohuslän lies the beautiful island group of Trossö–Kalvö–Lindön. This area is home to a rich biodiversity, including rare species such as oyster plant, sea couch grass, and nesting barred warblers. But it is also one of the hundred most vulnerable bays, islands and stretches of coastline in Bohuslän – a place where hundreds of kilos of marine debris wash ashore every year.
“To support CleanSea's work we’ve chosen to ‘adopt’ Lindön, ensuring they can continue to keep the sea and coastline clean – all year round,” says Rebecca Tagaeus, Chief Sustainability Officer, WALLENIUS SOL.
100 for the Ocean is one of CleanSea's largest initiatives to clean Sweden's coastline. By having 100 different companies each adopt a bay, these exposed areas can be cleaned between one and five times per year, depending on need. With support from WALLENIUS SOL, Lindön will be cleaned 3–5 times a year. CleanSea estimates that around 100 kg of plastic will be collected during each of these clean-ups.
“When we choose which activities or organisations to support, we prioritise initiatives that promote ecological and social sustainability where we live and operate. It’s a pleasure to work with an authentic, small-scale partner like CleanSea, where we can clearly see the tangible results,” says Rebecca Tagaeus.
A clean sea
Huge amounts of plastic reach the Bohuslän coast via ocean currents from the Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.
Removing 100 grams of plastic can be enough to save a seabird."
CleanSea's goal during 2025 is to remove 30,000 kilos of marine plastic, and to remove even higher amounts in the future. In five years, they have already collected over 84,000 kilos. But plastic is far from the only thing floating in our seas.
“The majority of what washes ashore is single-use plastics, packaging, and fishing gear. But we find all sorts of things – space technology, safes, drugs, underwater drones, and plenty of messages in bottles,” explains Mikaela Julher.
She hopes even more companies will choose to adopt a bay along Sweden’s west coast.
“We truly celebrate each time a company adopts a bay. We need to work together to reach the goal of a clean sea, and when we’re able to keep one specific place consistently free of plastic, it can be life-saving for the animals that live there.”
