When Greg Daley first entered the beauty industry, he wasn’t thinking about saving the planet. He was helping hair stylists make videos for Instagram. But over time, what he saw behind the scenes left him disillusioned — endless plastic packaging, wasteful formulas, and an industry “engineered to be wasteful so you buy more of it.”
That realization became the spark for Sea Bar, a company redefining haircare with solid shampoo bars that come in refillable, plastic-free containers. For every Sea Bar sold, Daley’s team funds the removal of one pound of ocean trash — a direct link between everyday consumer choices and global environmental repair.
From Haircare to Ocean Care
Daley’s journey from content creator to eco-entrepreneur began with a single moment of clarity while free-diving in Hawaii. “I came across a sea turtle tangled in fishing line and plastic bags,” he recalled on Changemaker Q&A. “That was the first time I really thought about what happens to the plastic after you throw it away.”
It’s an issue scientists and sustainability experts have been sounding alarms about for years. According to the OECD’s Global Plastics Outlook, only 9% of plastic waste is actually recycled worldwide (OECD, 2022). In the U.S., that figure hovers around 14%, meaning most plastic bottles, caps, and containers end up in landfills, incinerators, or the ocean.
Haircare products, Daley points out, are a surprisingly large contributor. “The average shampoo is about 90% water — which makes no sense when you’re using it in the shower,” he said. “You’re paying for bottled water wrapped in plastic.”
Innovation that Cuts Waste — Not Corners
Sea Bar’s flagship product looks more like a deodorant stick than a soap bar. Customers twist up the solid shampoo, apply it directly, and later refill the container with plastic-free cartridges. Each bar replaces at least three liquid shampoo bottles.
That refill model isn’t just marketing. It addresses what Daley calls the “hidden costs” of beauty — the emissions from shipping heavy, water-based products and the enormous waste from single-use packaging.
Environmental researchers back him up. A 2023 study from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that switching to refill and reuse systems could cut packaging waste by up to 80% in some consumer categories (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2023).
Still, Daley emphasizes that meaningful impact comes not only from innovative design but from mindset: “Most of the changes we could make are free — literally just using less, buying less, cutting out waste we’ve been sold.”
Building Systems That Support Simplicity
Unlike many eco-startups that outsource their impact, Sea Bar directly coordinates clean-up crews in the Philippines — a region heavily affected by global plastic exports. “It’s unfortunately easier to find people who need jobs and trash that needs picking up than it is to sell shampoo,” Daley said with dry humor.
His philosophy blends systems thinking with personal accountability: use less, design better, and take responsibility for the waste already created. It’s a model that echoes broader movements toward circular economies, where products are designed for reuse rather than disposal.
Shifting the Story
At the heart of Sea Bar’s success is storytelling. Daley argues that every purchase is “a story people buy into,” and too many beauty brands sell fiction — from miracle ingredients to “rare tropical extract syndrome.” Instead, he wants to sell truth: that sustainable living isn’t about perfection, but participation.
He challenges both consumers and creators to focus less on social-media activism and more on tangible, local action. “Picking up trash at the beach might have more impact than posting about it,” he said. “Every time you spend money, you’re sending a signal to the system.”
Beyond the Bar
For Daley, Sea Bar isn’t just about haircare — it’s a test case for how small, principled ideas can scale into real change. “Everything you don’t buy is something that doesn’t get made,” he said. “And that’s good for the planet.”
As sustainability moves from buzzword to business imperative, Daley’s approach — cut waste, clean up, and tell better stories — offers a roadmap for changemakers across industries.
Because sometimes, reimagining the future starts not with a policy or protest, but with something as simple as washing your hair.
