An estimated 16 billion pounds of plastic enters the ocean each year and this company is on a mission to stop it.
4ocean is a Florida-based company founded by two young surfers, Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper, who took a trip to Bali Indonesia that changed their lives and the fate of the ocean. They witnessed an unthinkable amount of trash littering the shorelines and threatening the livelihoods of the local fishing community. After discovering that no one was doing anything to fix it, Alex and Andrew founded 4ocean to fight back against the global ocean plastic crisis.
4ocean has given those fishermen a new way to make money: by using their nets to pull trash from the ocean. Local fishermen in high-impact communities are employed as captains and crews on cleanup vessels or as members of their coastline cleanup teams. Today, 4ocean manages clean-up operations in Florida, Bali, and Haiti, and employs over 150 people worldwide.
4ocean funds their cleanup efforts with the sale of the 4ocean bracelet. Made with recycled materials, every bracelet purchased funds the removal of 1 pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. In less than 2 years, 4ocean has removed 6,096,407 pounds of trash from the ocean and coastlines.
Every month, 4ocean highlights a conservation cause with a new bracelet. Those who purchase a bracelet are encouraged to wear it as a reminder to curb their plastic habit, live more sustainably, and encourage others to take action to protect what they love.
For the month of August, Captains For Clean Water has partnered with 4ocean to launch the Everglades Bracelet. Through this partnership, we are able to raise awareness about the challenges facing the Everglades with a new audience, empowering them to get involved and take action in the fight for clean water and a clean ocean.
“As two companies who have dedicated our life’s mission to protecting and restoring the places we love, we’re excited to partner with 4ocean and give more people an opportunity to help save the Everglades,” said Captain Daniel Andrews.