As one of today’s most forward-thinking sustainability speakers, Will Pearson channels a lifelong love of the sea into tangible global impact through Ocean Bottle. Inspired by early experiences in Norway and studies at the University of Exeter, Will’s mission is rooted in practical environmental action.
Now based in London and a graduate of both Exeter and London Business School, he blends coastal heritage with global business acumen to lead a purpose-driven company recognised worldwide.
In this exclusive interview with The Champions Speakers Agency, the UK’s largest keynote speaker bureau, Will shares how technology is reshaping sustainability, why individuals matter more than ever, and what drives him to speak up for the planet.
Q: What first sparked your passion for the ocean, and how did that lead to founding Ocean Bottle?
Will Pearson: “So, my passion for the ocean really started at a young age in northern Norway where my grandparents are from. I then took that forward and actually spent a year working at sea in the Indian Ocean as a demand, and that was really where I saw firsthand the side effects of plastic consumption.
“When I came back to London to finish my studies, Blue Planet II was launching and what we saw was that individuals really wanted to make a difference when it came to ocean plastic but honestly really didn’t know where to start. And that was where the Ocean Bottle concept was born. It was all around enabling individuals to make a global impact on this problem.”
Q: Ocean Bottle is doing big things on a global scale—what values guide your mission and what impact have you made so far?
Will Pearson: “So, at Ocean Bottle we believe that each of our products should be a vehicle for impact. That’s why we designed the Ocean Bottle to do much more than hold just water.
“For every Ocean Bottle that we sell, we fund collection equivalent to a thousand plastic bottles in weight, and we do that by investing in collection projects in coastal communities all around the world. I’m really pleased to say that to date we’ve prevented the equivalent of two billion plastic bottles from entering the ocean, and that’s really thanks to our community and all our brand partners who’ve come on board.
“At Ocean Bottle we have three core values as a team that really help us drive forward our mission. They are thinking like a detailed and rigorous founder, champions do extra and go all in on the mission. We have big ambitions, and we can’t achieve them alone, but we also can’t sit around and wait for these problems to solve themselves, so we really have to act with urgency.”
Q: From your perspective, how is technology helping drive positive change for the environment?
Will Pearson: “So, technology is already helping us understand where we’re going wrong—whether that’s emissions, pollution, resource extraction or ecosystem degradation. We now have this information at our fingertips so we can make the necessary changes.
“But I also believe that technology is playing a huge role in unlocking new sustainable models, whether that is new materials, sustainable manufacturing, closed loop systems, renewable technology, all the way through to regenerative farming and even using technology in conservation efforts.
“This is truly what gives me hope—is all these innovations that are happening and really happening at breakneck speed.
“At Ocean Bottle, technology is also helping us drive behaviour change. We’re evangelical about driving the usage of our products, and we’ve actually fitted an NFC chip in the base of every single bottle that we’ve ever made.
“We recently relaunched our Ocean Bottle app which allows users to log their refills and fund more plastic collection for free with every single refill. We’re developing loads more functionality in the app, but the appetite is definitely there, and we’ve already had 300,000 refills tracked and logged within the system.”
Q: When you speak at events or share your journey, what do you hope people here in Brighton and beyond take away from it?
Will Pearson: “I hope that they feel inspired from hearing some real-life examples and also stories of what it takes to build a business truly with purpose at its core.
“In a way I also hope they feel a little bit of outrage and a little bit of optimism—that perfect combination and mix that drives people towards action.
“We’re really big believers that people have the power to influence immense change, not only in their daily lives, but influencing the companies that they work for and the politicians that they vote for.
“As an individual, tackling a challenge like climate change or the ocean plastic crisis can feel incredibly daunting. And that’s why we set out to make it easy for individuals to make a global difference, and I hope that in some way what we do will help convey this and inspire some action.”
This exclusive interview with Will Pearson was conducted by Jack Hayes of The Motivational Speakers Agency.
