Two members of the GLHB team, Louise Holloway and Gail Hamilton, collaborated this summer with Geraldine Lorijn and Haim Samuels, co-founders of Fitz-g, an Amsterdam-based start-up. Geraldine and Haim are moving forward on the launch of a stylish yet environmentally friendly Spanish-inspired beach sandal that will not contribute to the growing toxic plastic waste gyres in our oceans. Fitz-g is targeting fashion-forward consumers interested in purchasing fashionable European products for a circular economy.

Louise and Gail acted as advisors in the areas of marketing and communication and brought in a group of summer students from the American University of Paris, who provided additional insight into the potential target market. The project started with a kick-off meeting in Amsterdam. During the summer, the students researched the toxic waste issue, helped to define the potential customer base, and developed ideas for additional funding. The project ended with final student presentations in Paris following which the founders thanked the students for their hard work, enthusiasm, and insight. The project was deemed a success and the team members hope to reconvene in 2016 for further collaboration.