The fight against marine pollution: 4ocean surpasses 40 million pounds of waste removed

4ocean with its commitment contributes to making our waters cleaner: since 2017 it has removed over 18 million kg of plastic and waste from oceans, rivers and coasts

4ocean has granted another milestone in the war against marine pollution, having cleaned over 40 million pounds of plastic and debris from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines with the help of the organization’s volunteers.

The initiative, founded in 2017 by Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper after a trip to Bali, has grown from a local cleanup into a global movement operating seven days a week, supported by a network of more than 200 professionals.

Each day, 4ocean removes approximately 20,000 pounds (9,000 kilograms) of debris from waterways. This remarkable achievement is made possible through partnerships with businesses, donors, and the sale of iconic products like bracelets crafted from recycled materials.

For every product sold, an additional 11 pounds (5 kilograms) of waste is removed, helping to fund cleanup operations and ecological restoration projects. The organization uses innovative tools like the 4ocean TrashTracker, a database that tracks the full lifecycle of recovered materials from retrieval to recycling.

4ocean avoids harmful collection methods that impact marine communities

Plastic pollution in the oceans is one of the biggest environmental challenges of today, considering that over 440 million pounds enter marine ecosystems each year. The pollution has placed fragile ecosystems, like coral reefs, mangroves, and marine wildlife, in jeopardy. Different from other initiatives, 4ocean assumes its responsibilities and avoids collection techniques that would damage marine communities.

Its flagship project, River of Change, done in collaboration with Corona International, has pulled more than 139,000 pounds of junk from the Rio Motagua in Guatemala. The newly minted 4ocean Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2024, aims to further scale cleanups via partnerships with NGOs, foundations, and private entities.

4ocean is committed to more than just pulling out plastic. The organization invests in ecosystem rehabilitation and community development affected by marine pollution. A member of 1% For the Planet, it commits a minimum of at least 1% of annual sales to support environmental causes and is certified as a carbon-neutral entity.

This achievement is just the beginning, says co-founder Alex Schulze:

“Thanks to our partners and supporters, we are building a circular economy for materials recovered from the oceans. Each step brings us closer to a cleaner planet and a healthier ocean.