It was a grey day in Oxford, United Kingdom (no surprises there). Ben Norton had just finished a long shift at the BMW factory where he worked. A finance graduate who really wasn’t enjoying his career choice. He was in search of finding what could make his heart tick faster and his zest for life zing a little louder, all while living far away from his beautiful birthplace, Zimbabwe. Little did he know that the monotony of life in the UK was about to be disrupted by a phone call that would change his course sooner than later - and we’re so glad it did!

After the end of a shift, Ben received a call from his Dad, Larry Norton. His voice trembled, and immediately Ben knew that something was scarily wrong. His dad explained that he had just been kayaking the first five rapids of the Zambezi River along with Ben’s childhood friend, Simon Teede. On the run back up the gorge to their car, they crossed paths with an elephant. 

Seeing elephants was nothing new, but on that day, this particular encounter was one filled with rage. The bull decided to unexpectedly charge at Simon and Larry who took off running for their lives. Simon got onto higher ground and looked back helplessly as Larry, far slower and in his 60s, was struggling to outrun the bull who caught up and pinned him down. 

Between a rock and a hard place is where Larry found himself - literally. He was standing yet managed to crouch down and pick up a rock - one that would save his life. With a second to spare, Larry gave a freakishly accurate throw, squaring the elephant right between the eyes. Dazed and processing what just hit him, Larry had an opportunity to escape. That evening Ben found out what had happened...

“I should’ve felt relief - and I did - but I also felt far away. Useless. Out of place. It was the moment I knew I had to come home.” - Ben Norton

Something strange and very worrying was happening with the elephants in Victoria Falls. Sadly, this wasn’t an isolated incident. A respected legend and anti-poaching ranger named Clever Kapundura had been killed a few weeks earlier. Then another elephant, agitated and aggressive, was shot on the outskirts of Chinotimba Township after killing a resident. Its body was taken in for an autopsy revealing a stomach full of plastic - bags, bottles, wrappers, you name it. Ulcers had eaten through the stomach lining. In agony, it had directed its anger and frustration at the “perpetrators”. The residents who had no other way of disposing of rubbish, other than dumping it near the Zambezi and Hwange National Parks.

This discovery was the turning point. Ben, along with Simon and Rainer von Urff-Kaufeld had for years loosely talked about recycling in the area, but now it felt urgent. It was personal. It was time. If they didn’t get plastic out of their wild spaces, more elephants would suffer - and so too would the communities living alongside them.

There was no grand plan, just a spreadsheet (courtesy of Simon), a PowerPoint, and a stubborn belief that together, these friends could build something better. Two and a half years later, Ele Collection Co. was born. Built in Zimbabwe, fuelled by grit, community, and a fierce love for this land - and the life it holds.

Listen to this story in more detail by watching this video below - you WON'T be disappointed!