Plants represent life and sustainable growth, which is exactly what we're all about—using natural processes to tackle environmental challenges. Nature, and the need to preserve and enhance it, is what sparked our inspiration for Ecodrive.
- Trevor Laudate, Ecodrive co-founder
Sometimes it feels like the world is going to sh*t doesn't it?
Our oceans are full of plastic, forests are being cut down at alarming rates, and C02 pollution is contributing to warming temperatures and increasingly extreme weather around the world.
When entire governments and huge corporations are seemingly only accelerating their devastating toll on the environment, what are we as individuals supposed to do?
It can be all too easy to despair at the mess we’ve made of our home.
For many, moving our species to an entirely different planet seems to be the only option (for those who can afford it at least).
But, fortunately, there are innovators seeking to rectify the environmental malaise we find ourselves in. And they are doing so in ways which are increasingly accessible to the everyday consumer and business owner.
Ecodrive is one such organization.
With Ecodrive technology, businesses have the ability to empower their customers to contribute to environmental projects with every purchase of their product or service.
Buy one Marly self-watering planter, for example, and Ecodrive will automatically plant a mangrove tree in Kenya.
For companies, the effects can be huge. Green values are proven to resonate with shoppers, increasing customer conversion and retention.
For our planet, the effects are priceless. Ecodrive-powered projects have helped to regenerate entire forests, remove thousands of tonnes of carbon from the air, restore vital wildlife habitats, support local communities, and extract huge amounts of plastic from oceans and rivers.
As Marly's partnership with Ecodrive continues to grow, we were keen to learn more about the people behind a company that is helping to make a huge difference.
As part of our ongoing Conversation With an Expert series, we caught up with Trevor Laudate, co-founder at Ecodrive, and all-round sustainability guru, to talk nature, plants and life.
Check out our interview below!
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Marly: Trevor, thanks so much for joining us today. First of all, what do plants, nature and gardening mean to you?
Trevor: Plants, nature, and gardening are really important to me, especially because of what we do at our company with nature-based solutions.
Plants represent life and sustainable growth, which is exactly what we're all about—using natural processes to tackle environmental challenges. Nature, and the need to preserve and enhance it, is what sparked our inspiration for Ecodrive.
Personally, nature keeps me grounded in what really matters in life. Gardening, like our work, is all about nurturing and helping ecosystems thrive. Altogether, they embody our values of sustainability, innovation, and respect for the natural world, creating impactful and lasting solutions.
What's your favorite thing to grow inside your home, in the garden, or out in the wild on one of your projects?
My favorite thing that we grow in the wild is most likely our mangroves in Kenya.
Not only are they super trees in terms of the amount of carbon that they sequester, they are also extremely important to coastline protection, coral, wildlife, and much more.
In Kenya, where we are planting, they play a key role in restoring biodiversity.
Can you give us a little background into the Ecodrive story? How did you get started on your mission?
We spent many years working in marketing helping social good brands grow across e-commerce, all while scaling the impact that they were creating.
Here is where we realized the power of embedding impact into your customer's journey to not only grow revenue, but to do more good in the world.
We started working in tree planting with one of our businesses at the agency and soon realized the power trees have in supporting our environment and how tangible it was for consumers to understand and support.
We then realized the opportunity to scale environmental action into businesses of all shapes and sizes in a way that would not only support the planet, but would also support their growth.
Amazing! Bringing it a little closer to home, do you have any secret tips or tricks for keeping your house or office plants healthy?
Yes! Use Marly planters!
Love it - we definitely agree! What has been your biggest lesson or takeaway from launching an environmentally conscious tech company?
There are a lot of good people out there that want to support initiatives and technology that supports the sustained health of our planet. It is such a fun space to be building in together with our customers!
What's next for Ecodrive?
We recently launched ocean plastic removals in partnership with 4ocean. With this, we are now able to pull plastic and waste directly out of the ocean together with our business partners.
There is a massive crisis with all of the plastic currently in our ocean and we are hoping to help make a huge impact on reducing this in the coming years through our relationships.
What advice do you have for someone looking to make green changes in their home or business?
Start small!
Sustainability is very tough because sometimes what seems to be the smarter or more eco-friendly choice, often isn't. I would just encourage everyone to educate themselves and try to make little improvements to their lifestyle daily.
And finally, which bar, restaurant, park, store, or public space should anyone with green thumbs or an interest in the environment make a visit to?
I'm located in California and I would have to say nothing makes me feel more inspired by nature quite like the areas surrounding Big Sur does - where the ocean meets the forest.
Trevor, we really appreciate your time and insight. We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership and helping each other grow, thanks so much!
My pleasure!
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Marly planters are sustainably designed, reduce water waste, and encourage folks to start growing in their own spaces, no matter how small, and no matter their expertise.
In partnership with Ecodrive, we’re now able to help you have an impact beyond the home or office by contributing to the growth of forests worldwide. Excellent news for ur planet.
Marly's mangrove forest has now reached 112 trees strong and counting.
Join us on our mission by purchasing a Marly (or two) via our store and Ecodrive will plant the corresponding number of trees in Kenya.
Simple, yet very effective.
To help, we’re offering a 15% discount site-wide with code MARLY15.
And if you would like to find out more about Ecodrive including how to implement their planet saving technology into your business, or would like to contribute to projects on a personal level, check out their website, here.