We’re one of a handful of companies working to advance important environmental, social, and economic causes around the world
4ocean was founded on the belief that business can be a force for good and that the actions of individual people, collectively, have the power to change the world. Now, we’re beyond stoked to announce that we’ve joined the B Corp community — a small group of companies that are working to advance important environmental, social, and economic causes around the world.
What Are Certified B Corps?
Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and nonprofits alone. B Corps are for-profit companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable economy for all people and the planet. This small but growing community is accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business.
Purpose-driven, a B Corp’s goal is to create benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders, while meeting the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
B Corp certification is one of the only certifications that’s not for a product or service, but for the company as a whole, which helps consumers identify companies with a mission that aligns with their values.
How We Became a B Corp
B Lab is the independent nonprofit that certifies companies as B Corps. Before any company becomes a B Corp, they must complete the B Impact Assessment, which requires them to document their positive impact so B Lab can assess the overall impact a company has on its workers, suppliers, community, and the environment. In order to maintain B Corp status, this rigorous certification process must be completed every three years.
Why B Corps Matter
The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of high-quality jobs. In fact, B Corps amend their governance so that, by law, they can make decisions and implement practices that consider not just shareholder value, but the impact on all stakeholders including employees, customers, society, and the environment.
4ocean Is Also A Public Benefit Corporation
Certified B Corporations (B Corps) and Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs) have a lot in common, which is why they’re often, and understandably, confused. However, there are some important differences as well.
The B Corp Certification is a third-party certification administered by the nonprofit B Lab, based in part on a company’s verified performance on the B Impact Assessment.
A PBC is a legal structure for business, like an LLC or corporation, which means the company is legally empowered to pursue positive stakeholder impact alongside profit.
Some companies, like 4ocean, are both Certified B Corps and Public Benefit Corporations, which means that we prioritize our impact on the public over generating revenue.
We Remain Committed To Our Mission
As both a Certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation, we remain committed to our mission of ending the ocean plastic crisis. You can expect us to continue:
- Educating people about the ocean plastic crisis and empowering them to live a more ocean-friendly lifestyle by ending their reliance on single-use plastics
- Advocating for ocean-friendly legislation that improves waste management infrastructure and stops the cycle of overproduction and overconsumption that contributes to plastic pollution, like the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act which is in front of the U.S. Congress right now
- Hiring captains and crews around the world to recover trash that’s already polluting our oceans, rivers, and coastlines
- Investing in new technologies and solutions that stop plastic pollution and 4ocean Upcycling, which is how we transform the trash we recover into new and useful products
- Creating jobs that reduce inequality, decrease poverty, strengthen our communities, and give people dignity and purpose
- Offsetting our carbon footprint and operating as a climate positive business
- Exploring new and innovative ideas that will continue to increase our impact
We’re incredibly proud of our new B Corp certification and you should be, too. Every pound you pull helps us advance our mission in countless ways and this certification is as much your achievement as it is ours. Together, we can end the ocean plastic crisis.
How YOU Can Increase Your impact
If you’re looking for more ways to get involved in the clean ocean movement, you can:
- Continue to spread the word about ocean plastic pollution
- Support legislation and petitions against ocean plastic pollution
- Pledge to reduce or eliminate your single-use plastic footprint and encourage those closest to you do to the same
- Support groups and organizations who are fighting to protect our oceans and marine life
Continue pulling pounds by purchasing 4ocean products, which funds all aspects of our global ocean cleanup operation and supports a growing movement to end the world’s reliance on single-use plastic.
Thank you,
The 4ocean Team