Before Once Was Lost became a nonprofit, founders Bethany and Kyle—along with their family—spent countless hours walking the beaches of Northeast Florida. What started as peaceful time in nature quickly turned into something more: the beaches were littered with plastic and debris, pollution hovering in the surf.

Driven by a deep sense of stewardship, they began picking up the waste. But as they looked closer, they saw something more than trash—they saw untapped potential.

Bethany began transforming pieces of recovered plastic into artwork, raising awareness and encouraging others to care for the coast. What began as beach cleanups and creative reuse soon evolved into a broader vision: what if we could turn these once lost plastics into something functional, something loved again?

From that spark, Once Was Lost was born. What started as repurposing waste by hand grew into a full-scale mission to deploy local recycling solutions that empower communities to rescue, rework, and relove plastic—building a more circular, sustainable future.

While repurposing plastics is a key step forward, we know it’s not the endgame. Eliminating single-use and virgin plastic altogether may seem like a Death Star-level feat—but every action matters. Whether it’s participating in a cleanup, refusing disposables, or supporting local recycling hubs, we all have a part to play in reversing the damage and reshaping the future.