Our Values & Mission

Regeneration

We aim not merely to sustain the status quo. We aim to improve. We need to rebuild, repair, regrow, replenish, and recreate. We need to regenerate the oceans' resources, her estuaries, mangroves, seagrasses, kelp forests, and coral reefs.  We now have the capacity to not just be sustainable—not just be zero waste—but to put into motion the wheels of a blue economy to help regenerate vital ecosystems and ignite support to safeguard them as Marine Protected Areas.

While not perfect, it's our mission to grow the SEATOPIA collective as a force for good, to regeneratively work in symbiotic relation with the Blue Planet and build a truly scaleable seafood supply chain with a net positive impact on the oceans.

As of 2023 Seatopia began planting 1 kelp plant for every order in partnership with Ocean Wise's Seaforestation campaign.  This is one we we can do our part to combat climate change and environmental degradation, while helping rebuild key spawning areas for wild fish.  

By growing and restoring kelp forests at scale, we can remove CO2 from the atmosphere, create marine habitat, and combat ocean acidification…all while creating economic opportunities for Indigenous and coastal communities.
Carlos Drews
EVP, Conservation with Ocean Wise

Kelp forests create rich habitat for marine life, including commercially important fish and invertebrates, absorb and store CO2, filter pollutants out of water, and protect coasts from the impacts of extreme weather events. Seatopia’s mission is to provide a sustainable seafood option that doesn’t harm the planet. We’re thrilled to push that goal even further by actively working to improve the health of our oceans through kelp restoration.

Sustainability

Measured as the net impact of our relationships with the environment, sustainability should be synonymous with symbiosis.  We are not above nature, we are a part of nature. As such, sustainable farming within the ecological capacity of the local environment is just the first step in the macro perspective of the seafood supply chain we are endeavoring to evolve.  All of our farming partners commit to sustainably produced SEATOPIA seafood with non-GMO broodstock that is 100% antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and safe from toxic bioaccumulation of micro-plastics and heavy metals such as mercury. 

Eco over Ego.  We are part of nature.

 

Plastic & Styrofoam Free

The cost of our compostable packaging is on average 10X the cost of traditional seafood companies' costs for petroleum-based plastics and styrofoam.  However, from an environmental standpoint, cellulose compostable plastics are far less expensive than petroleum based plastic. Nothing lasts forever, but plastic comes very close — and that’s the problem. Recycled plastic is a great thing, but the fact is that the vast majority of plastic is not recycled. When plastic ends up in your local river, ocean or landfill, that’s just the beginning of the story. As plastic biodegrades, it leaks toxic microscopic polymers which, when it rains, wind up in streams, rivers, and eventually the ocean.  These microscopic polymers are eaten by plankton, which are then eaten by wild fish, and so on and so on. The polymers do not flush out of the fishes’ system but continue to leak toxic endocrine disrupting chemicals inside their bodies.

plastic bags are the deadliest element in the oceans

As such, below is an overview of our values expressed as our product, our packaging, our banking relationships, and our carbon footprint. Instead of hiding our sourcing and or vendors, it is our hope that more businesses will take note thus that the industry as a whole evolves: 

 Our Plastic Free Packaging Commitment

  • Vericool - Compostable Insulated Cooler:  SEATOPIA insulated coolers are made from post-consumer recyclable molded plant fiber.  The outer shell is 100% recyclable (passes WMU standard) with compostable insulation which meets US ASTM D6400 and Home Compost Standards.  This replaces environmentally detrimental expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam packaging (commonly known as Styrofoam®)
  • Grounded - Compostable Vacuum Bags: SEATOPIA's vacuum sealed freezer bags are certified home compostable, made from cassava root and corn derivatives blended with a copolymer.  Instead of normal plastic bags that cost pennies, but last forever, we are using a more expensive but appropriate product made from renewable sources, not fossil fuels.
  • Polar Tech Biodegradable Gel Packs: SEATOPIA uses Polar Tech leak proof Biodegradable Gel Packs designed for the earth-conscious customer looking to maintain cold temperatures without impacting the environment through waste. Our biodegradable ice packs are long-lasting and are made with a non-toxic gel, while remaining FDA GRAS approved. Biodegradable ice packs will start to degrade if left outside, within 18 months. The biodegradable ice packs can also be recycled through the normal poly recycling process once the gel is disposed of in the trash.
  • TreeFree Hemp Postcards & Flyers:  SEATOPIA postcards are made with USA grown, processed, and manufactured hemp paper brand – HempStalk Paper – a Colorado homegrown, handmade artisan hemp paper, utilizing PureHemp Pulp.  Hemp has been grown throughout the world for more than 10,000 years and is the most versatile crop on the planet. With the ability to produce thousands of different products across many industries, hemp can be grown in a variety of climates and is an excellent source for food, textiles, paper, fuel, building materials, plastics, along with health, beauty, nutritional products and much more.  Our tri-fold brochure and recipe cards are made of 100% sustainable tree-free hemp blended paper: 25% hemp and 75% post-consumer recycled, acid-free, and chlorine-free.

  • PlanItGreen - Compostable Labels: Our direct thermal paper rolls for the SEATOPIA labels are made from wood cellulose.  They are dissolvable under a steady stream of water in 15-25 seconds. They are also Forest Stewardship Council Certified Forest Management and Chain of Custody certified.   Free from restricted and harmful substances to humans and the Environment. FDA compliant with 21 CFR 175.105 regulations concerning indirect food contact.  Free from persistent organic pollutants in conjunction with EU No. 757/2010.
  • EcoEnclose Plastic Free Tape:  SEATOPIA boxes are sealed with corn starch water-activated adhesive tape that is biodegradable, compostable, and recycle friendly!  Manufactured in the USA, EcoEnclose is made from 50% recycled material and mills certificates for proper forest management and sustainability.

Socially Responsible Banking

  • Beneficial State Bank - Socially Responsible Banking and Finance: SEATOPIA's banking partner believes that banks should nourish our communities, not extract from them. Together, we can create a new banking system that is fully inclusive, racially and gender-just, and environmentally regenerative.  Beneficial State Bank seek borrowers that purposefully support people and the planet through their corporate practices, such as the provision of living wages and benefits, well-being opportunities for staff, sustainability practices and policies, and community service programs. These practices are often recognized through certifications and labels such as B Corp, Green Business, JUST, LEED, and others.  Their stated mission is to change the banking system for good, build prosperity in our communities, and restore the environmental commons through beneficial banking.

Carbon Foot Print

  • Our shipment are certified carbon neutral verified by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), an inspection, testing, and verification company. This means that you can have confidence in the UPS carbon neutral method. Additionally, the carbon offset process is certified by The CarbonNeutral Company. The shipments you receive from SEATOPIA via UPS utilize UPS's carbon neutral option and supports projects that offset the emissions of the shipment's transport. UPS has supported projects that include reforestation, landfill gas destruction, wastewater treatment, and methane destruction.
  • In the future we intend to specifically align with a certified ocean carbon sequestration projects and a supply chain auditing agency.  It is our goal to be offsetting not just our shipments but 100% of the carbon footprint associated with our operations by 2030.