Fact Checked: How 4ocean is NOT misleading millions (2024)

I’ve been seeing a lot about plastic pollution in the news lately, so I started looking into ways I could help clean up. I found an ocean cleanup company called 4ocean and, of course, I did some research on the company before I made any purchases. And while I was really excited to see that they were one of the only companies doing daily cleanups with full-time captains and crews, I came across a few articles that said they were a “scam.” There was even one on this platform called How 4Ocean is misleading millions but the claims being made seemed questionable and weren’t backed up by any facts. And 4ocean is actually a Certified B Corp like Bombas, Tom’s, Seventh Generation, and Ben & Jerry’s — some of my favorite do-good brands. So, I sent the article to 4ocean and asked them for some clarity. Here’s what they had to say:

ME: I’d love to support you guys, but I read this article on Medium and it raised some doubts.

Hey there! I’m Alex Schulze, the Co-Founder + CEO here at 4ocean. We have seen this article and it’s very clear to me that the author cares deeply about protecting the ocean and doing what’s right for people and the planet — something we both have in common.

As a small and scrappy startup, we’ve had our share of growing pains. There is no playbook for cleaning the ocean and we’ve learned a lot of lessons through simple trial and error. Our strategy and messaging have had to evolve along with us over the years and we understand how that can lead to doubts like the ones you and this author have shared.

That said, the article is full of inaccurate data, false assumptions, unsubstantiated opinions, and inflammatory speculation that has the power to skew people’s opinions against 4ocean and the cause we all hold dear.

We work hard to cultivate a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement at 4ocean. And so, in that spirit, I’ve gone through this article to provide insight and clarity that I hope will address your questions and concerns.

Does my purchase truly help to clean the ocean? If so, how much of my money is going to cleanups? How would I know for sure?

Hey there! I’m Alex Schulze, the Co-founder, and CEO here at 4ocean. It’s very clear to us that you care about protecting the ocean and doing what’s right for people and the planet. 4ocean is full of surfers, scuba divers, beach bums, sailors, and ocean lovers who share these same values. As a small and scrappy startup, we’ve had our share of growing pains. There is no playbook for cleaning the ocean and the truth is that we’ve learned a lot of lessons through simple trial and error. Our strategy and messaging have had to evolve along with us and we understand how that can lead to doubts like the ones you’ve shared.

That said, this article is full of inaccurate data, false assumptions, unsubstantiated opinions, and inflammatory speculation that has the power to skew people’s opinions against 4ocean and the cause we both hold dear. We work hard to cultivate a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement. And so, in that spirit, I’ll be going through this article to provide insight and clarity that addresses these questions and concerns.

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“4Ocean is an e-commerce corporation window dressed as a social cause, which uses aggressive marketing and fabricated credibility to dupe millions of people into thinking they are saving the oceans, while in fact they likely have little positive, and possibly even a negative effect on the oceans.”

4ocean is a Certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation that is legally obligated to prioritize our social and environmental impact while balancing shareholder value. Our entire business model is designed to advance our mission of ending the ocean plastic crisis by funding daily ocean, river, and coastline cleanups; creating jobs for people whose lives and livelihoods are impacted by plastic pollution; creating an economy for recovered ocean plastic by using the materials we collect to create new products that support our mission; and inspiring people to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle that will help keep plastics out of the ocean.

We also partner with SeaTrees by Sustainable Surf to offset our carbon footprint each year by protecting and restoring blue-carbon ecosystems like kelp and mangrove forests. In fact, we are Ocean Positive Verified, which means we actually have a positive impact on the marine environment by planting more kelp and mangroves than we need to offset our carbon footprint.

Our business complies with applicable laws, has gone through rigorous evaluations to earn the level of credibility that comes from being Certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation, and is regularly audited and certified by trusted third-parties to verify our social and environmental impact. Marketing is a critical tool utilized by nonprofit and for-profits alike that helps raise public awareness about plastic pollution, its impact on the ocean and marine life, and what people can do to be part of the solution while enhancing our ability to fund our mission.

Since 2017, 4ocean has recovered over 30 million pounds of trash from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines; created hundreds of full-time, living-wage jobs; diverted more than 300 million single-use plastics from the waste stream; donated nearly $2 million dollars to nonprofit ocean conservation organizations who share our mission; and, through our partnership with SeaTrees by Sustainable Surf, have planted more than 18,000 mangrove trees and restored over 4,5000 sq. ft. of kelp forest.

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“Contrary to popular belief, 4ocean is not a non-profit charity, but a for-profit corporation.”

4ocean has always been transparent about the fact that we are a for-profit company and that our mission to end the ocean plastic crisis is at the core of everything we do. While we make every effort to correct false assumptions, this misunderstanding is not the result of any intentional misrepresentation by 4ocean, but more likely due to the fact that people haven’t been exposed to a lot of companies who prioritize doing good alongside profitability. But 4ocean is a special type of company called a Public Benefit Corporation.

PBCs are for-profit companies that have a legally binding commitment to a social or environmental mission (in our case, cleaning the ocean) which must be balanced alongside — and sometimes prioritized over — maximizing value for shareholders. By their very nature, PBCs are designed to generate social and public good while operating in a responsible and sustainable manner.

We are also a Certified B Corp, which means the third-party nonprofit certification organization B Lab has audited our business, including in-depth reviews of our financials, operations, and other documentation that isn’t publicly available due to its proprietary nature, in order to verify that 4ocean has met specific standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

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“4Ocean is not obliged to spend the money it receives to address the plastic problem”

As a Public Benefit Corporation, 4ocean DOES have a legal obligation to deliver on the promises we’ve made to consumers and spend their money on operations that clean the ocean and prevent plastic pollution. We must also continue to prove our social and environmental impact to maintain our B Corp Certification, which is done every three years through the B Impact Assessment administered by the nonprofit B Lab.

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“As a privately-owned corporation, 4Ocean is not obliged to share any financial information with the public”

This is true. And while we choose to protect our data, we are very clear that 100% of every purchase goes to support our mission. This claim has been vetted and certified by third-party auditors like B Lab and GreenCircle Certified, who have observed our cleanups and reviewed confidential and proprietary documentation regarding our finances and operations that is protected under the Trade Secrets Act and Intellectual Property Laws.

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“So why is 4Ocean for-profit?”

It’s simple really: We can have a much bigger impact on the environmental, social, and economic impacts associated with plastic pollution as a for-profit company than we ever could as a nonprofit.

4ocean is one of the only companies in the world that directly employs full-time captains and crews for the sole purpose of cleaning the ocean. We cover 100% of all healthcare costs and provide additional bonuses and incentives for all captains and crews. We pay fair living wages and provide steady employment that allows our crew members and their families to break out of the cycle of poverty and pursue their dreams.

Our entire business model was created to balance the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit — always in that order.

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“So where is the money going?”

100% of every purchase goes to support our mission. This includes:

• Funding for our daily ocean, river, and coastline cleanups
• Salaries, healthcare, and other benefits and incentives for our captains and crews
• Acquisition and maintenance of all vessels, vehicles, machines, tools, and equipment used in our cleanup and material processing operations
• Permitting and licensing from local, state, and federal agencies for all operations as well as special projects like the Osborne Reef Tire Cleanup
• Overhead for dedicated facilities where our teams can meet, store vehicles and equipment, and process recovered materials so they don’t re-enter the environment
• Sustainable disposal of all recovered materials, which includes all plastic resins as well as metals, glass, electronics, rubber, etc.
• Product development, sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, and shipping
• Education and awareness initiatives (i.e., marketing, advertising, speaking engagements, public appearances, etc.)
• Research, development, and investment in new products, strategies, infrastructures, and technology that have the potential to advance our mission and maximize our impact
• Donations to other ocean conservation organizations that align with our mission through our membership with 1% for the Planet.

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“I track down the factory price of 4Ocean bracelets on Alibaba[x], who sell the bracelets for as low as $0.50 apiece”

Alibaba is not and has never been a 4ocean manufacturing partner. Nor have we ever sold our products through this channel. We actually filed an infringement claim against the seller, which was substantiated, and the counterfeit listing has already been removed.

4ocean products are only available on 4ocean.com and through select retailers which can be found here: 4ocean.com/pages/store-locator.

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“Claiming that the bracelets sales will save the ocean is overpromising to say the least.”

4ocean was founded on the belief that the small decisions we make every day, collectively, have the power to change the world. While we may use hyperbole to catch people’s attention, we freely acknowledge that cleanups alone won’t save the ocean, but mutual cooperation and innovation between people, businesses, and governments absolutely can and will. The bracelets are meant to inspire action on behalf of our one shared ocean. They act as a wearable reminder to use our power as informed consumers and citizens to drive change (i.e., making sustainable choices that reduce plastic consumption or supporting representatives who vote for policies that support ocean conservation). Our bracelets are also a great conversation piece that helps raise awareness about plastic pollution through word-of-mouth, which can and does inspire people to get involved in the clean ocean movement. So no, our bracelets won’t literally save the ocean. But they are a source of inspiration for the actions that will.

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“many crews find dumpsters on land out of which they pull trash and bring to the dock on the boats claiming that they got it from the water or riverbank.”

While you often see this activity in the “collection center” model of plastic recovery where people in at-risk and marginalized communities are paid a price-per-pound for any high-value plastics they recover, 4ocean has strict policies that forbid this practice.

Every single cleanup conducted by 4ocean crews is documented with before, during, and after photos as well as critical data points including GPS-verified location, duration, crew members and vessels involved to prove that we’re recovering trash directly from the environment and not dumpsters, parking lots, or recycling centers.

The following data is recorded for every single cleanup: date, GPS-verified location, duration, crew members involved, the weight of each sack of recovered debris, and the total weight of all trash collected.

All recorded data and photos must be reviewed and verified by the location manager before they are submitted to the 4ocean TrashTracker where they are marked as “Pending Review” until they go through a maker-checker process (AKA: dual approval). If data is inaccurate or incomplete, or the photos don’t meet our rigorous documentation standards, the submission is “Denied” and is not counted toward our total pounds pulled.

Every single pound of trash we recover can be traced from the point of recovery through our entire supply chain. This claim is verified through our GreenCircle Certification, which requires on-site observations of our cleanups as well as audits of our documentation.

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“There are so many items that have been photographed that couldn’t have possibly have floated to where they were found- church pews, BBQ grills, steel tables & chairs, etc. Some of these items don’t even have water stains on them!”

Every day is an adventure when you’re cleaning the ocean and coastlines and you never know what you’ll find! From illegal dumping and littering to storms and natural disasters, a lot of weird and sometimes sad things wind up in the ocean. These finds actually aren’t all that surprising.

Our crews operate under a “no trash left behind” policy which means we collect any and all man-made debris that doesn’t belong in the environment, not just the high-value recyclable plastics that other organizations collect, because that’s what’s best for the ocean and marine life.

In addition to some of the finds listed here, our crews have also recovered mattresses, refrigerators, guitars, dolls, still-working iPhones, jewelry, syringes, and more. We frequently share these finds on our social channels to help people understand just what’s out there and how they can help prevent plastic pollution by properly disposing of all their waste, not just plastics.

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“4Ocean hasn’t shared any footage of the vessel cleaning up any plastic.”

Like I said before — there is no playbook for cleaning the ocean, and not every strategy we try pans out the way we expect. The OPR Vessel successfully completed two cleanup missions and played a crucial role in transporting supplies to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian in 2019. However, we quickly realized that the maintenance of this vessel was using a disproportionate amount of funds that could be better utilized to expand our operations into high-impact areas like Guatemala and Java, Indonesia.

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“I would be very happy to change my mind if 4Ocean would support its claims by giving real transparency into their finances and publishing verifiable records of their trash collection.”

This confidential and proprietary information is protected under the Trade Secrets Act and Intellectual Property Laws. However, our corporate structure is set up to hold us legally accountable to our mission and we actively pursue independent, third-party certifications from internationally recognized and trusted third-party organizations to ensure that consumers know that their money is going to support our mission of ending the ocean plastic crisis.

That said, we are actively working on solutions that will give the clean ocean movement even more insight into our daily operations and global impact. While these will take some time to come to fruition, it’s my hope that you’ll join the clean ocean movement and that the author of the original article will stick with us on this journey, reconsider their position, and either update or remove the article before it drives more people away from a mission that benefits us all — cleaner oceans, rivers, and coastlines.