David Stover, Co-Founder of Bureo, on the Journey to Turn Commercial Fishing Nets From Ocean Waste into Useful Products.

LA-based Bureo started as many companies do; with an opportunity and an idea. The opportunity was a start-up program in Chile, and the idea was a skateboard made from recycled fishing nets. While the Bureo team is still on the ground in Chile, and you can still buy one of those skateboards, a lot has changed since 2013 when David and his partners wrote that first business plan. They’ve recycled millions of tons of nets, they’ve partnered with Patagonia to develop new fabrics and products, and they are branching out well beyond the borders of Chile. This is a story of small steps, community engagement and creative thinking coming together to make a big impact.