Nellie and Brian Harden have a passion to change the world. A few years ago, they relocated to Southport with the dream of raising their children near the water. But as they went about their new life on the coast, they became dismayed by the
“We see straws everywhere,” Nellie said, “floating in the water, in the sound. At the beginning of last year, we decided as a family to be more conscionable in what we do.”
As parents to four girls (Skyla, 13; Trinity, 11; Lana, 11; and Journey, 9) they wanted to minimize their environmental impact and decided to use one straw per person for life.
“Our family is out there a lot, always traveling, and we realized that we would go through a lot of straws! There is so much plastic in the ocean, and we were ready to be part of the solution.”
The problem? They couldn’t find anything affordable that they liked.
The family had tried and tested paper straws, bamboo straws, and stainless steel straws. In the end, they liked glass the best. They were so sold on their new habit, that they wanted to share what they learned with others.
“Using straws is okay, but we realized that our family had saved over 100 straws from the landfill in three weeks by using reusable straws. We thought, let’s help other people do this!”
So the family started their own company making and selling reusable glass straws.
Operating out of their home in Southport, the Hardens launched Sea Glass Designs on November 11, 2018. In the first month of business, they sold over 400 straws and 120 carriers. Today they continue to sell individual orders and have also been approached by businesses for retail placement and have customers from around the country and world.
The success of the business was so quick that it can’t be denied they have created a product people want.
Sea Glass Straws come in three sizes, bent or non-bent, multiple colors, and can be etched with a name or brand in a variety of fonts. Prices are anywhere from $7.00 to $10.00 per straw, depending on options.
These straws are beautiful. Made of borosilicate glass, they are microwave safe, dishwasher safe, good with heat and cold, and nonporous. Not only that, but the Hardens guarantee them for life, regardless of circumstances.
Neither Nellie nor Brian have a background in glass making, surprisingly. They purchase glass from Asheville, and now Brian hand cuts, shapes and etches each order. Also available for sale are custom carrying cases, sewn by Brian.
“We have a passion for the world that fueled a LOT of education,” Nellie laughed.
“I am basically the production line,” Brian explained.
Local businesses have loved the idea, too, and have been asking for Sea Glass Straws etched with their business name, which the Hardens are very happy to do.
“This is a touristy area, and we love that businesses want to help people remember Southport while also doing something great for the environment,” Brian said.
The family is so committed to changing the world, that 10% of all sales from Sea Glass Designs are donated to the Ocean Conservancy for protection and restoration efforts.
“We want to support them,” Brian explained, “because they lead efforts to actively get plastic out of the ocean and clean what we have.”
Truly, every ounce of the Harden family’s drive to create and grow Sea Glass Straws is about protecting the beach and ecology they love.
“We want to get as big as we can; we will ride the wave wherever this goes,” Nellie said about their new company. “We want to make the largest impact possible. There is a shift that needs to happen in our culture. We’re getting closer, but we need to get everyone on board. [The plastic problem] really is a global issue.”
We’ll drink to that…
Learn more about Sea Glass Designs and purchase your Sea Glass Straws at seaglassstraws.com.
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