How a British Startup is Inspiring Malta’s Youth to Defend the Ocean
By Blue Economy Insights
A clever new invention from a British company based in Malta is turning the tides on ocean plastic by putting the power of clean-ups into the hands of the next generation.
Odyssey Innovation, a Cornwall-founded enterprise with a decade-long history of transforming marine waste into useful products, has launched Scuttle the Cuttle: a purpose-built, child-friendly beach-cleaning toy shaped like a cuttlefish. Designed to make environmental action fun and engaging, the device is already showing powerful results in local beach clean-ups and educational campaigns.
“It’s about turning young people into ocean stewards,” said founder Rob Thompson. “Scuttle is a scoop, sieve, and bucket all in one—and it’s built to inspire.”
The inspiration for Scuttle came after a clean-up event in Għajn Tuffieħa, where Thompson and students from Chiswick House School struggled with awkward tools while collecting microplastics. Determined to find a better way, he designed a sturdy, all-in-one tool with no loose parts, ideal for small hands and sandy conditions. It’s also fully recyclable, underscoring the circular economy ethos behind all of Odyssey’s products.
Recently, 100 schoolchildren returned to the same beach armed with Scuttle prototypes. In just a few hours, they collected 13,600 pieces of microplastics but perhaps more importantly, they also walked away with a deeper understanding of marine pollution.
“They weren’t just picking up trash,” said Thompson. “They were asking real questions about how pollution moves, how it affects wildlife, and what they can do about it.”
Odyssey’s approach merges fun with function. From bodyboards to kayaks made of recycled marine waste, the company has consistently proven that discarded materials can be reborn into something useful and impactful. Scuttle takes that ethos a step further, empowering children to be active participants in environmental care.
The toy has become more than a tool, it’s now a symbol. Thompson envisions a future where Scuttle becomes internationally recognized as a kid-powered force for ocean health.
“We often underestimate children,” he noted. “But when they’re given the right tools and encouragement, they run with it. They know this is their future.”
Building a Culture of Action in Malta
Odyssey Innovation is expanding its efforts across Malta, leveraging its new local base to scale both clean-ups and circular economy programs. Its signature Paddle for Plastic initiative has already made a an impact using recycled kayaks to access and remove plastic debris from hard-to-reach coastal areas. A recent event saw an additional 8,000 plastic items recovered in a single morning.
The company’s Marine Regeneration and Net Regeneration programs now operate across 42 fishing communities, in collaboration with 23 NGOs, creating closed-loop systems for recycling beach-clean plastic and end-of-life fishing gear.
Locally, Odyssey has partnered with Malta Fish Farms to recycle 16,840 kilograms of used aquaculture ropes. The materials, once destined for landfill or incineration, were instead packed into a 40-foot container and shipped for recycling, paving the way for a more sustainable future for Malta’s aquaculture industry.
“This isn’t a one-off,” Thompson explained. “It’s the start of a much broader vision—proving that Malta can lead the way in transforming marine waste into circular solutions.”
A Blueprint for the Blue Economy
Odyssey’s journey offers a tangible example of how the circular economy can drive both environmental and educational change. By putting tools like Scuttle into the hands of young learners, and establishing scalable recycling systems across industry, the company is connecting the dots between awareness, action, and systemic change.
“Waste is only waste if we fail to see its potential,” said Thompson. “With the right mindset, it becomes a resource—a tool for education, regeneration, and transformation.”
As Odyssey continues to grow its presence in Malta, it hopes to collaborate with more schools, communities, and companies to embed circular thinking into the heart of the blue economy.
