Creative Solutions - A look at 4ocean

 

I came across 4ocean back in 2018 when I saw this cute bracelet they were selling. I checked out their website and fell in love with what they were doing. 4ocean is changing the way we think about business and recycling. It’s truly inspiring.

Who They Are

Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper are thinking creatively about how they can make a difference. They started the company 4ocean after a trip to Bali, Indonesia in 2015. While there, they spoke with local fishermen and found out how plastic pollution was impacting the fishermen livelihoods. They soon started hiring local boat captains and fishermen to cleanup plastic and other debris in the ocean, coastlines, and rivers FULL TIME.

“How refreshing. Two guys driven to act on behalf of the betterment of others, using the free market and personal creativity to solve a societal problem — and providing jobs and service opportunities for hundreds of others in the process. Sounds like an American dream come true.” – The Washington Post

 

---

Their Mission

“4ocean was founded on the belief that business can be a force for good and that the single actions of individual people, collectively, have the power to change the world. As both a public benefit corporation and Certified B Corp, we’re committed to ending the ocean plastic crisis. While our professional, full-time captains and crews recover harmful marine debris that’s already polluting the ocean, we also work to stop plastic pollution at its source by educating people about this global crisis and empowering them to end their dependence on single-use plastic.” – 4ocean

Anyone, anywhere can clean the ocean

“Our business model is simple: We fund our global ocean cleanup operation by offering sustainable and reusable products that raise awareness about the ocean plastic crisis and empower people to end their reliance on single-use plastic. So every time you shop 4ocean and pull a pound of trash, you’re helping us advance our mission to end the ocean plastic crisis.“ – 4ocean

 

---

Since their start in 2017, 4ocean has recovered over 14 million pounds of trash.

As of April 9, 2021. Check out the 4ocean TrashTracker for the latest data.

Think they’re too good to be true? They keep track of every pound pulled out of the ocean or beach area. “From the moment it’s recovered, every pound of trash we pull is tracked through our entire supply chain. This meticulous documentation process sets a new industry standard of accuracy and accountability for products that claim to be made from recycled ocean plastic.” Check out their process on their website www.4ocean.com

4ocean Business Model