Wisdom, the world's oldest known wild bird

Large seabirds known as albatross have the dubious honor of serving as the canary in the coal mine when it comes to plastics in the ocean. Despite the IUCN’s listing of nearly all species of albatross as threatened, one particular bird has persisted against the odds – she is known as "Wisdom" the Laysan Albatross, and is the oldest wild bird ever recorded.

According the the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service “She is at least 65 years old and a world renowned symbol of hope for all species that depend upon the health of the ocean to survive.” In February of 2018, Wisdom hatched another chick. We wish them both good health and long lives, and dedicate both the name of the business, and the work that we do in honor of magnificent creatures like the albatross, caught up in the fallout of our disposable culture.

wisdom

(ˈwɪzdəm)
n
1. the ability to think and act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight
2. accumulated knowledge, erudition, or enlightenment

albatross

(ˈæl bəˌtrɔs, -ˌtrɒs)
n., pl. -trosses, (esp. collectively) -tross for 1.
1. Also called gooney bird. any of several large, web footed, mostly white birds of the family Diomedeidae, of Sand tropical oceanic waters, having a large wingspread and able to remain aloft for long periods.
2. a seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility.

Images from the Pacific

The images in the links below can make it feel difficult to bear witness, but at Wisdom Supply Co., we believe the time for facing the harms caused by convenience culture has come. With this knowledge comes the drive to make the immediate changes in our habits and purchasing choices, that can prevent tons of plastics from ever entering the world wide waste stream.

Why we're driven to address Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is causing environmental harm worldwide. With roughly ten tons of plastic ending up in our oceans every minute around the clock, it is well past time for our reliance on cheap, disposable plastics to make way for common sense. The Wisdom Supply Co. mission is to disrupt what we call the shelf-to-shore pipeline, and replace it with systems that prevent plastic and vinyl from entering the global waste stream.

Photo and video courtesy of 5 Gyres

Landfill-bound supplies (Binders, Spiral-Bounds, Folders) thrown "away" on the last day of school

Information about Plastic Pollution

Plastic doesn't really "go away" or biodegrade, it can break down into smaller pieces of plastic, and it can photo-degrade into smaller, more brittle pieces from exposure to the elements over time. Either way leaves behind fragments and particles referred to as microplastics. It is important to understand that just because the pieces are incredibly small, doesn't mean they have gone away. The impact of micro and nano plastic particles on the environment is profound.

Plastic pollution and microplastics have been documented in dirt, air, ice-core samples, lakes, and streams. It's on the highest mountains and in the greatest depths of the ocean – It's in the intestinal tracts of all manner of marine life from tiny zooplankton, to fish, sea turtles, seabirds, and whales. Plastic fallout can be found quite literally everywhere on earth.

To get up to speed on the topic quickly and accurately, visit The 5 Gyres FAQ page

Heather Itzla, Founder

Wisdom Supply Co. was founded by Heather Itzla, a plastic waste activist with grave concerns about the scope and scale of global plastic pollution. Realizing how back-to-school shopping encouraged the rote purchase of disposable plastics, Heather approached a local school with an plan to significantly limit the amount of waste per student year after year. Heather stocked each classroom with waste-less school supplies for students to use as needed.

Picturing all of the student's families not walking out of big box office supply stores with countless plastic bags filled with plastic and vinyl destined to become landfill or pollute waterways, compelled Heather to turn what started as an activist/volunteer effort, into Wisdom Supply Co., a Benefit Corporation on a mission to reduce plastic waste on an exponential scale.

Heather Itzla Profile Video

Heather Itzla's Blog "There is No Away"

Nicole Kozlowski, Co-Founder

Nicole Kozlowski Profile

Nicole Kozlowski is a dedicated environmentalist and ocean advocate, and has committed herself to building a career based on protecting the ocean and wilderness by addressing disposable culture; intentionally disrupting what she calls the "shelf-to-shore pipeline".

Nicole and Heather crossed paths repeatedly at ocean pollution events in San Francisco, and came to the realization that they share the goal of reducing plastic waste by creating systematic, scalable solutions. Together they’ve developed a program that not only prevents massive amounts of plastics from entering the waste stream, but creates convenience and peace of mind for their customers as well.