Last week, I was honoured to join some of the UK and EU’s most forward-thinking innovators at the UK Mission to the EU’s Ocean Innovators event in Brussels. 

It’s a rare and exciting gathering; a space where bold ideas meet urgent action for healthier oceans and a more circular economy.

With the UN Ocean Conference and final Plastics Treaty negotiations just around the corner, we’re at a crucial turning point. This is our chance to reimagine the role business can — and must — play in tackling plastic pollution for healthier oceans. 

At Ocean Bottle, our approach is clear: the plastic crisis isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s a symptom of outdated, extractive business models. For too long, profit has come without accountability. The result? A global waste crisis that’s damaging ecosystems, livelihoods, and communities around the world.

I believe the future of business lies in flipping that script, by putting environmental and social impact at the heart of everything we do. Not as an add-on, but as the engine that drives innovation, trust, and growth.

We’re here to prove that doing good is good business. For every Ocean Bottle we sell, we fund the collection of 1,000 ocean-bound plastic bottles by weight. That impact supports collection communities on the front lines of the plastic crisis. 

This isn’t charity. It’s conscious commerce, and it works. Our community has already helped fund the collection of over 22,626,892 kg of plastic. Impact isn’t an afterthought;  it is our business model.

And we’re not alone. There’s a new wave of entrepreneurs out there who are building from the ground up with purpose. We’re proving that sustainability isn’t just competitive, it’s a winning strategy in global markets.

But we can’t do this alone. 

To really unlock the full potential of impact-led business, we need the right policy frameworks. Agreements like the Global Plastics Treaty can set the stage for real, lasting change, not just by restricting harmful practices, but by championing reuse, refill, and material innovation. If it’s designed well, the treaty could align global standards, unlock new sources of capital, and reward business models that regenerate, not extract.

At the Ocean Innovators event, I was not just there to share our story; I want to create a movement, because the ocean can’t wait. Last week and today, I’m calling on leaders in every sector to step up.

Policymakers create incentives for businesses that deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes.

Organisations: move beyond CSR and make impact your core offering. And to my fellow entrepreneurs: build with purpose from day one.