Mohamed Itani
Loyola Marymount University
Lisa Daggett
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Next Session is an online retail store based out of El Segundo, California, specializing in highly sustainable and stylish resin-based rings, necklaces, and earrings. With the promise of providing their community of surfers with “less surf gear waste, which would potentially end up in the ocean,” these products are made from surf “trash” such as, wet suits and surfboards. Next Session works to solve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of 12) Responsible Consumption and Production and 14) Life Below Water.
Jodie Davies, the founder of Next Session, wanted to use the knowledge she gained from her previous work experiences as an IT Executive and Tech VP and apply it to something she was more passionate about, surfing. She founded Next Session in 2018, in search for ways to support the “Next Surf Session.”
The sustainable surf “trash” fashion accessories innovation sets Next Session apart from many. Next Session is the only business that is converting old and damaged surf gear waste into fashion accessory products. The local surf community supports her cause by donating their old gear, which is later converted into stylish accessories for everyone to purchase. By eliminating such waste, they are also preventing the improper disposal of old or damaged surf gear such as surfboards and wetsuits that are contributing to a large amount of marine pollution. As the waste is leaching into the water, it is posing a threat to marine life and ecosystems. Embracing sustainable practices such as this highlights the ambition to help keep the environment and ocean clean, such that the future generation of surfers have a clean ocean to exercise their passion on as the generation before them did as well.
Next Session works towards two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Responsible Consumption and Production, as they reduce surf gear waste by producing sustainable rings made from old and damaged surf gear, and Life Below Water, as they are essentially raising awareness for a cleaner ocean and keeping the ocean clean by limiting surf gear waste reaching the ocean.
Inspiration for Jodie to establish Next Session stemmed from her passion for surfing. As an avid surfer, she quickly realized that had to do something about her old surf gear that was going to waste, either at a landfill or dumped into the ocean (further harming the beaches, she very much loves). The meager options to sustainably dispose of surf gear were to either recycle them or keep them in storage. As an alternative to both, she began experimenting with producing stylish surf accessories. After many failed attempts to produce her vision into reality, and with no help or similar production technique to rely on, she looked to YouTube to find ways how to successfully produce her product.
There are many short and long-term effects of Next Session. The short-term goals include slowly reducing surf gear waste and the negative long-term effects they have on the environment. As well as preaching awareness by selling their products. Next Session opened in 2018 and since then, has sold a ballpark of a few thousand products and prevented over 100 wet suits from being disposed of. Although being a small retail business, they have helped the surf community by being the go-to place to dispose of old and damaged surf gear. By doing so, they have helped thousands of individuals become involved in positive change.
The long-term goal of Next Session is to essentially make our oceans and environment cleaner, one sustainable accessory at a time. Next Session is still a young local business with ambitions to expand to other products and make an impact. Jodie is determined to keep providing her products and services to those interested in the sustainability cause of protecting our oceans.
Next Session has currently relied on the local surf communities’ support; the community is the reason Next Session is still offering their products and services. However, protecting the environment and ocean shouldn’t only be supported by the local surf community, but every community out there. Next Session has frequently spread awareness through local pop-ups looking for more support than only surfers for her initiative.
Next Session did not disclose revenue and Jodie Davies is the only employee. The sustainable fashion accessories market is exclusive and limited. Next Session created its own market by creating unique products marketed towards surfers, environmentalists, and anyone that would want to support a sustainable local fashion accessories store.
The area in which Next Session was founded is a Southern California surfing hot spot, making its inception a local necessity. With continued support of the surrounding community, the sky is the limit to what comes next for them.
This innovation has brought sustainable ideas to the local community. It has taught them that any sustainable product is plausible, even surf “trash” products. These products create awareness to take care of our oceans and environment. With continued support, Next Session will expand to more products, reaching an even larger audience which will only create more noise and help more people understand that sustainability can be achieved. It can be a beautiful product. They are helping sustain the environment one wet suit at a time.
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Jodie Davies, Founder
At Next Session, they take surf "trash" and turn it into unique up-cycled accessories. They are an online retail business based out of El Segundo, California that is saving the seas, one stylish loop at a time. Focusing mainly on resin-based rings, earrings, and bracelets for the time being, they have plans to expand to other accessories in the near future.