Electrolux intends to gather plastic from the world’s oceans and turn it into a number of vacuum cleaners. The initiative—“Vac from the Sea”—aims to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution and at the same time combat the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances.

“There are plastic islands, some several times the size of the state of Texas, floating in our oceans. Yet on land, we struggle to get hold of enough recycled plastics to meet the demand for sustainable vacuum cleaners. What the world needs now is a better plastic karma”, says Cecilia Nord, Vice President, Floor Care Environmental and Sustainability Affairs, Electrolux.

The plan is to make a limited number of vacuum cleaners from plastic debris harvested from the Pacific,—and the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Baltic and North Sea. On the Blog and on Facebook, anyone interested in the issue will be able to follow the endeavor and find inspiration on how to get involved. The vacuum cleaners will be put on display to decision makers and consumers as part of spreading the word.

“More recycling directly translates into more sustainable appliances and homes. Our engineers have managed to get our green range vacuum cleaners up to 70 percent recycled plastic but our ultimate vision is of course 100 percent, and for all ranges”, says Jonas Magnusson, Product Marketing Manager at Electrolux.

The main barrier to using more recycled plastic in home appliances is the scarce and uncertain supply of recycled raw material. Much research and progress is currently being done by the recycling industry. However, to fix the imbalance in supply and demand and get the cycle working properly, overall consumer perception must change.

“The ‘Vac from the sea’ project aims to do just that—educate consumers,” says Nord. “This issue is much too important to leave to politicians. Companies, consumers and politicians are equally accountable for the situation.”