Ecoalf is a Spanish fashion brand that makes clothing from ocean waste and discarded materials with the same quality, design, and function as non-recycled products, under the banner “BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLANET B.” Javier Goyeneche founded it in 2009 out of frustration with resource waste. From recycled PET bottles, fishing nets, nylon offcuts, old tires, coffee grounds, and industrial cotton and wool scraps, it has developed over 300–500 recycled fabrics and recycled more than 44 million bottles since 2021 alone. At its core is the Ecoalf Foundation's “Upcycling the Oceans” (since 2015) — begun in Villajoyosa, Spain with just three fishers, now with fishers bringing the ocean waste caught in their nets back to port, where it is sorted and processed into Ocean Yarn (recycled polyester). Over 2,500 fishers across 43–71 Spanish ports take part, and it has spread to Italy, Greece, France, Egypt, and Thailand, pulling more than 850–1,900 tonnes of ocean waste from the sea (about 9% is PET usable for clothing; the rest goes to other industries). Spain's first B Corp, it has received Best for the World 2022 and the 2020 Schwab Foundation Social Innovators award. It targets net-zero by 2030 and works on recycled cotton in Gujarat, India (with Materra and 4,000 farmers).
●●○ medium
There is no confirmed −; independently verified + decide the position (B). No unreachable strike-through.= non-additive meter
Ecoalf: There is no Planet B — same-quality clothing from ocean waste. The letter is B; certainty is medium. Unconfirmed concerns are placed under “Watching.” (As of 2026-Q2; estimate based on public information.)
Main narrative
One person’s story (N1)
+ before → after
Mediterranean fishers. The ocean waste caught in their nets was once thrown back to sea or lost among other trash. In the Ecoalf Foundation's “Upcycling the Oceans,” fishers bring it back to port, place it in dedicated containers, and it is sorted and processed into Ocean Yarn (recycled polyester). Begun in Villajoyosa, Spain with just three fishers, it now has over 2,500 taking part — and the fishers are the true protagonists of the project. Source nature: independent (WIPO / Deutsche Bank) plus foundation disclosure.
Source nature: WIPO / Deutsche Bank / Ecoalf Foundation / P2 independent (WIPO/Deutsche Bank) / foundation disclosure. Positive effects are not used to offset negatives.
Positive / negative effects
+ effects
- It became the first Spanish fashion company to earn B Corp and was named Best for the World 2022. It has also received international recognition such as the 2020 Schwab Foundation Social Innovators award. From recycled PET, fishing nets, old tires, and more, it has developed over 300–500 recycled fabrics and recycled more than 44 million bottles since 2021 alone.P1 third-party certification / award (B Corp / Schwab) / B Lab / Schwab Foundation
- “Upcycling the Oceans,” begun in 2015, involves over 2,500 fishers across 43–71 Spanish ports and has spread to Italy, Greece, France, Egypt, and Thailand, pulling more than 850–1,900 tonnes of ocean waste from the sea. About 9% of what is collected is PET usable for clothing; the rest is routed through NGOs to other industries for a second life.P2 independent media / foundation disclosure / Deutsche Bank / Ecoalf Foundation
− effects (confirmed)
- No confirmed −.
- The low share of collected waste that is clothing-grade PET and the contribution to ocean plastic overall
- Apparel's footprint
- Supply chains of factories in various locations
- Expanding “Upcycling the Oceans” across the Mediterranean and other countries, Clean Rivers Save Oceans, regenerative agriculture (Materra), net-zero by 2030, and deepening recycled and low-impact materials.
A second look
The core + is collecting and recycling ocean waste (nature) and fishers' participation (people), backed by independent recognition — Spain's first B Corp, Best for the World, the Schwab Foundation award, and WIPO. That said, only about 9% of collected waste is PET usable for clothing (the rest goes to other industries), so it is a partial share of ocean plastic overall. Apparel carries a footprint relative to its scale, prices target relatively affluent consumers, and factories are located near material sources.
Sources
How to read this assessment
- Reachable upper bound (ceiling): a confirmed − sets the ceiling, and independently verified + decide the position within it. + do not cancel out −.
- The weight of evidence is not symmetric: only confirmed − are counted; the volume of disputes or allegations goes under “Watching.” + are counted from independent evidence, while an organization’s own PR is treated as “reference.”
- Size is not value: scale is not used in the assessment. Matters that stay within money or competition—investors, shareholders, sanctions, trade secrets—are also excluded.
- The letter (assessment) and certainty (how reliable the information is) are separate axes.
This is a translation; the Japanese version is authoritative. The assessments here are generated automatically by AI based on published criteria. The operator does not alter individual results. Because they are AI-generated they may contain errors, and they are opinion and commentary, not statements of fact. Where evidence is insufficient, the entry is marked “On hold.” Requests for correction are accepted via the form.
Terms: Narrative Value = an assessment (A–G) of the distance between the story an organization tells and its reality / Ceiling meter = a visualization of the reachable upper bound / Watching = unconfirmed matters not counted / Protected stakeholders = people, animals, nature, and future generations. | Generated by: AI | As of: 2026-Q2 | Back to top