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E3 Products, a family-owned social enterprise founded on Victoria’s Surf Coast, has secured a landmark distribution partnership with SEA LIFE, the world’s largest aquarium operator.
The Torquay-based company, which has designed bespoke Australian souvenirs for more than 100 Australian tourism destinations over the past 20 years, will supply SEA LIFE aquariums with 28,000 souvenirs made entirely from recycled plastic.
Carlo Lowdon, founder of e3 Products, says the partnership takes a coastal family business onto the world stage, while “staying true” to its purpose.
“We started as a small family business on the Great Ocean Road, creating souvenirs for people when they’re at their happiest, on holiday” says Lowdon.
“Now those same memories are travelling even further, all while carrying an environmental story with them.
“Someone can buy an eco-friendly keyring at a SEA LIFE aquarium in Europe or Asia and still be connected back to an Australian beach and a child who helped collect those bottle caps.”
The souvenirs being supplied to SEA LIFE are made from milk-bottle lids - four of which contain the same amount of plastic that can be fatal to a sea turtle if ingested.
SEA LIFE, which is part of the UK-based Merlin Entertainments Group, operates about 50 attractions across more than 20 countries servicing more than 20 million visitors a year.
The company has three aquariums in Australia, located in Sydney, Melbourne and Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast.
E3 Products souvenirs are currently stocked by the likes of Zoos Victoria, Ballarat Wildlife Park, the Parliament Shop in Canberra and Sydney Airport retail.
The company says that, through the latest deal, its signature rPET keyrings and bag tags, each made from three to four milk bottle lids collected by schoolchildren and community volunteers via lids4kids, will sit in SEA LIFE’s global network of 50 aquariums and marine sanctuaries.
Naomi Manson, Seal Life’s Head of Commercial Sydney Cluster, says the partnership reflects a path forward for the tourism industry.
“Our visitors want souvenirs that mean something, products that reflect their values and their love for our oceans,” she says.
“E3’s recycled-plastic range is a perfect fit: it’s colourful, meaningful and directly tied to reducing waste.
“We’re proud to bring an Australian social enterprise into our global network and to help tell the story of how small choices can make a big difference for marine life.”
The global souvenirs and novelty market was valued at US$104.9 billion ($156.5 billion) in 2025 and is expected to grow to US$145.2 billion ($216.7 billion) by 2030, according to research from Deep Market Insights.
E3 Products says the industry is facing increasing pressure to shift away from disposable plastics, with SEA LIFE’s charity partner, SEA LIFE Trust, highlighting the consequences of millions of tonnes of plastic entering oceans every year harming wildlife and fragile ecosystems.
E3 Products’ mission since 2005 has been to create useful souvenirs that “hold onto holiday happiness” long after the trip ends, producing everyday items such as keyrings, bag tags, mugs and tote bags that people actually use.
The company’s product range includes certified carbon-neutral products, FSC-certified timber and a growing use of recycled materials such as rPET.
“We have an obligation to teach people to buy a bit differently,” says Lowdon.
“When you pick up one of our keyrings, you’re choosing something that’s made from recycled materials, is recyclable and supports conservation. There is a real shift happening, and we’re doing it the best way we know how.
“Every part of our business, from what we make to how we ship it, is about reducing impact and changing habits.
“If we can help even a small percentage of the global souvenir market shift to circular, carbon-neutral products, the ripple effect through tourism and retail could be enormous.”
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