KOMMENTAR

Dear GOT BAG Community,

as you may have noticed, an article about GOT BAG researched by the newsletter agency Flip has been published on Zeit Online. I would like to give you a little more context on this now. The article is completely accurate in describing the challenge we face:

"The problem Got Bag is trying to address is indeed a big one. Between 86 and 150 million tons of plastic are already floating in the oceans, according to a study by the Alfred Wegener Institute. An island of trash four times the size of Germany is floating in the North Pacific. Marine animals
[https://www.wwf.de/themen-projekte/plastik/plastikkrise-bedrohung-ganzer-oekosysteme] such as dolphins and seals get caught in the plastic or die because their stomachs are stuffed with plastic particles. Corals and sponges lack light because the large amount of trash blocks it. Ultimately, the plastic ends up back on our plates via fish."

Of course, our approach of collecting Ocean Impact Plastic and processing it into high-quality products cannot eliminate the massive amounts of plastic waste that have already ended up in the ocean. And certainly, each clean-up initiative seems tiny compared to the millions of tons of new plastic that enter the ocean every year. However, we firmly believe: Every plastic cup and bottle we remove or prevent from entering the ocean is an opportunity to preserve marine life and habitats. And every contribution, no matter how small, is of value!

We are aware that there are many critical voices that do not give our project a chance. We accept these. But, to use the words of Zeit Online, we would rather start with a teaspoon and scoop out the bathtub than continue to watch it overflow. 

And so far, we have collected over 400 tons of Ocean Impact Plastic by doing so. 

Regarding the accusation of only 59% truth: We are of course aware that we still have some homework to do. Therefore, we have disclosed our data on the composition of our products very transparently to Flip magazine in the course of their research. Depending on the particular model and its features, these have a share of 59 - 100% Ocean Impact Plastic – details on the components can be found here. The fabric of our products was and still is completely made of Ocean Impact Plastic. However, we did not distinguish our communication clearly enough from that of our finished products and we did not properly communicate this to some of our partners until the year 2020. This led to the impression that our backpacks were made of '100% ocean plastic'. This has been a mistake - and we would like to apologize for it. We understand that it is our responsibility to communicate transparently and consistently.

Like Flip magazine, we are also dedicated to transparency and effectiveness. That's one reason why I'd like to share our answers to Flip's editors with you in the Annex, so that you have both perspectives and can form an independent opinion.

The accusations certainly hurt us. But if there's one thing we've learned since the first GOT BAG: We all strive for praise and validation, but it's criticism that makes us grow and become greater! 

Let's keep on creating an impact!

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, feel free to contact me anytime. 

Best regards

Benny Mandos