Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Okeanos®
Rethinking plastic at the source.
Dr. Russell Petrie co-founded Okeanos®, an international materials science company developing mineral-based packaging solutions designed to reduce plastic use and CO₂ while working within existing manufacturing systems.
WHERE OKEANOS® BEGAN
For Dr. Petrie, the problem became personal underwater.
He grew up in South Africa, where the ocean was part of his life from an early age. A lifelong diver, he watched plastic become increasingly present in places that once seemed untouched. When he became a father, the question grew harder to ignore: what would these places look like for the next generation?
His background in biology and medicine pointed toward an answer. Calcium carbonate, the mineral nature uses to build seashells and coral reefs, could take the place of much of the plastic in everyday packaging.
Then he met Florencio Cuétara, who would become his Co-Founder. They came from very different professional worlds, but discovered a shared concern about plastic and, remarkably, the same childhood hero: Jacques Cousteau.
That shared concern became a shared ambition: find a way to use less plastic in the first place.
And that became Okeanos®.
Humpback whales photographed by Dr. Petrie off Moorea, French Polynesia
A whale shark filmed by Dr. Petrie off Komodo Island, Indonesia.
A sea turtle filmed by Dr. Petrie off Komodo Island, Indonesia.
WHAT IS OKEANOS®?
Okeanos® develops Made From Stone™, a patented material technology that replaces a large portion of conventional plastic with natural calcium carbonate. Designed to work with existing manufacturing equipment, the technology offers a practical and scalable approach to reducing plastic and CO₂ at the point of production.
See how Made From Stone™ rethinks the material behind everyday packaging.
INNOVATION INSPIRED BY NATURE
SOURCE REDUCTION
Reduce plastic during production, before it becomes waste.
BIOMIMICRY
Draw inspiration from natural structures such as shells, coral, and eggshells, which use calcium carbonate to create strength and resilience.
SCALABILITY
Work with existing extrusion, molding, and thermoforming systems to support real-world adoption without rebuilding manufacturing operations.
FROM MEDICINE TO MATERIALS SCIENCE
Dr. Petrie's move from medicine into materials science was not about applying medical answers to an environmental problem. It was about bringing the same discipline that guides his work in the operating room to a completely different challenge.
As Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Okeanos®, he works alongside chemists, engineers, packaging experts, and designers to turn an idea into a material that can be manufactured at scale.
Dr. Petrie discusses Okeanos® and material innovation at COP28 in Dubai.
BUILT FOR REAL-WORLD ADOPTION
For Dr. Petrie, an idea is not a solution until it works in practice.
Made From Stone™ was developed with adoption in mind, designed to work within existing manufacturing systems and across familiar product and packaging formats. Today, it is in commercial production across multiple markets, from flexible packaging to rigid applications, and Okeanos® works with brands, converters, and governments to bring it into everyday products worldwide.
RECOGNITION & LEADERSHIP
2020
Innovation by Design
Made From Stone™ received an Honorable Mention in Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards in the Packaging category.
2026
Expansion into Japan
Okeanos® established Okeanos® Japan LLC in Tokyo in 2026, expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific market.
Current
Fast Company Impact Council
Dr. Petrie contributes to Fast Company’s Impact Council, sharing perspectives on innovation, sustainability, and responsible business.
Explore Okeanos®
Learn more about Made From Stone™ technology, current applications, and Okeanos’s work around the world.