Do R2C Drifters add plastic pollution to the sea?

At Return to Sea, protecting the ocean is just as important as honoring your Loved One. That’s why our drifters are carefully designed to use natural and durable materials—stainless steel, aluminum, cork, cardboard, silicone and granite ballast. These choices keep the drifters safe for the marine environment and ensure they do not become a source of harmful debris.

The only plastic component is the small satellite transmitter (with volume the size of a golf ball), which allows families to follow the journey of their Loved One in real time. This transmitter is sealed inside a watertight compartment, so seawater never touches the plastic or the batteries during the weeks to months it remains at the surface. Eventually, after long exposure to waves and weather, the drifter gradually loses buoyancy and settles to the seafloor.

To put things in perspective, the transmitter makes up less than half a percent of the drifter’s weight. Its small plastic content is tiny compared to that of numerous research buoys and instruments regularly used by scientists around the world. The four lightweight AAA lithium batteries add no significant toxicity when they eventually reach the seafloor.

In short, each drifter is built with the same care for the ocean as for the families it serves—a respectful, environmentally responsible Memorial that leaves no lasting footprint on the sea.  Compare that to the landmass and cost of cemeteries - in Perpetuity.