Page 62 - Plastics News July 2023

IN THE NEWS

4 ocean sets new plastic trash collection record

The company funds its activities in
various ways, one of which is by sell-
ing bracelets - the company promis-
es to ‘pull a pound’ of marine debris
from the world’s oceans, rivers, and
coastlines for each bracelet sold. The
bracelets are made with glass beads
strung on 4ocean plastic. According
to Schulze,plastic pollution dispropor-
tionately impacts poor and marginal-
ized communities around the world.
“All of our captains and crews live in
‘We’ve built an entire business’ company’s recovered materials from the communities we serve and are
recovery through their entire supply
ince launching in 2017, 4ocean, an hired as full-time employees. All of
Socean cleanup company based in chain, was independently audited and our bracelets are handcrafted by ar-
Boca Raton, Florida, has been dedi- verified by GreenCircle Certified. tisans living in either Guatemala or
cated to cleaning the waterways of the 4ocean recovers plastic waste and Bali. Every bracelet purchased funds
world. Now operating in 12 locations other debris from oceans, rivers, and our cleanups and creates jobs that
across three countries worldwide, in- coastlines and transports this back to provide the steady income people in
cluding the USA, Guatemala, and In- local facilities, where it is weighed, these communities need right now.”
donesia, it has grown into the leading documented, washed, and sorted by 4ocean has also announced a part-
ocean cleanup company. In doing so, type and colour. nership with Corona International to
it has made history: in a world first, it Depending of the type of plastic, it is reduce plastic pollution in the oceans
has recovered the most plastic waste then recycled or alternatively extrud- by moving collection efforts upstream
and man-made debris from the wa- ed into plastic lumber. If the material into highly polluted rivers. One of the
terways ever recorded by a single or- is truly at the end of its lifecycle, and most polluted rivers in Central Amer-
ganisation - 30 million pounds worth, cannot be reused or recycled, 4ocean ica is the Motagua River in Guatemala,
or almost 13,700 tonnes. which accounts for roughly 2% of all
ensures this is either responsibly land-
“4ocean is incredibly proud to have filled or sent to the Solid Waste Au- the plastic waste entering the oceans
accomplished this record-setting thority in West Palm Beach, Florida, each year. 4ocean has launched a
feat” said Alex Schulze, 4ocean CEO where it is converted into energy. 5-year project, called ‘A River of
and Co-Founder. “We’ve built an en- Change from Corona x 4ocean’ to ad-
tire business for the sole purpose of dress this leakage, using containment
cleaning the ocean. With hundreds booms to to intercept and collect de-
of local captains and crew members bris as it flows downstream without
recovering trash from our oceans and restricting wildlife.
coastlines seven days a week and the “When they say a small group of dedi-
support of millions of people doing cated people can change the world,
their part to prevent plastic pollution, believe them,” said Schulze. “Reach-
I'm sure our work will have a lasting ing 30 million pounds of plastic and
impact on the ocean." trash removed from the oceans is just
Schulze made the announcement af- the first step. We still have a lot of
ter the 4ocean TrashTracker, a propri- work to do.”
etary database used to document the

62 PLASTICS NEWS July 2023