Portland, OR – Sustainable home products manufacturer Bambu today announced it has formed a partnership with Seafood Watch®, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s respected science-based program that promotes ocean-friendly seafood purchasing practices across North America.
“Bambu and Seafood Watch share a common purpose,” Bambu president Jeff Delkin said. “We both encourage people to rethink their buying decisions and consider wiser, sustainably sourced alternatives.”
In the initial stages of this partnership, Bambu will donate profits from three of its “sea-themed” products—Bamboo Whale Coasters, Bamboo Fish, and new Seashell Trays to be launched in October—directly to the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium in support of its Seafood Watch program. In addition, Bambu will promote awareness of the partnership by including the Seafood Watch logo prominently on Bambu product labels and hangtags.
Bambu will also promote Seafood Watch throughout its social media networks, blog and website, and introduce the partnership to its retail sales network.
“Our customer base and our community in general will be very receptive to the Seafood Watch message,” Delkin said. “Our association with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program reflects education and the kind of awareness building that we feel deserves attention and support.”
“We look very closely at potential partners before we say yes,” Sheila Bowman, Manager of Culinary & Strategic Initiatives for the Seafood Watch program, said. “Bambu’s mission of sustainable sourcing dovetails with our efforts to promote sustainable seafood practices by restaurants, food service companies and seafood retailers. We’re happy to establish this relationship.”
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program engages and empowers consumers and businesses to purchase seafood from fisheries or aquaculture operations that minimize environmental impact Through its consumer pocket guides, website, mobile applications and outreach efforts, the aquarium encourages restaurants, distributors and seafood purveyors to purchase from sustainable sources.
Seafood Watch advances the aquarium’s mission to inspire conservation of the oceans.
Seafood Watch recommendations are science-based, peer reviewed, and use ecosystem-based criteria. Since 1999, the aquarium has distributed more than 45 million pocket guides, its smartphone applications for iPhone and Android have been downloaded more than a million times, and Seafood Watch now has close to 200 partners across North America, including the two largest food service companies in North America.
Seafood Watch reports shape the purchasing decisions for more than 17,500 retail stores and food service locations.
With roots in Portland, Oregon, Bambu has since 2003 designed, developed and manufactured handcrafted, modern home products made from renewable materials such as bamboo, cork, coconut and soy. The company is headquartered in Shanghai, China, where it produces more than 150 different products in its own production workshop and partnering facilities, all of which are located close to their raw-materials sources.
Bambu products are sold in more than a dozen countries through diverse retail distribution partnerships in the gift, kitchen, gourmet, grocery and hospitality market segments. The company is a member of Green America and its Green Business Network, and manufactures using organic sources certified by IMO Switzerland. A selection of Bambu’s products is USDA Biobased-certified.
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