7 min read
What Happens When a Cleanup Company Pledges 1% of Revenue to the Planet?
Cathleen P. Montano
Ocean plastic pollution is accelerating faster than most people realize. More than 11 million metric tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, overwhelming coastlines around the world. For the communities facing this every day, the problem isn’t theoretical, it’s personal.
Consumers and companies are now demanding more from the sustainable brands they support. Not just promises, but verified impact, transparent operations, and accountability.
So what actually happens when a cleanup company, one already known for removing a pound of trash for every 4ocean bracelet sold and every partnership made, pledges 1% of its total revenue to environmental nonprofits?
The answer reveals how business can be used as a powerful engine for environmental recovery. And it’s exactly what 4ocean, one of the world’s leading ocean cleanup companies, has committed to through its 1% for the Planet certification.
A Simple Promise: 1% of Revenue Goes Back to the Planet
Let’s start with what the certification means.
1% for the Planet requires businesses to donate at least 1% of gross annual revenue (not profit) to vetted environmental nonprofits. This structure matters a lot for companies promoting sustainability, because it guarantees:
- Giving is mandatory, not optional
- Contributions are independently audited
- Funds go directly to high-impact environmental organizations
- Customers can confidently support verified impact
And for companies in the sustainability and ocean plastic removal space, 1% for the Planet adds an additional layer of transparency.
A Significant Portion of 4ocean’s Revenue Already Funds Cleanup
Here’s what makes 4ocean’s 1% pledge stand out:
A large portion of 4ocean’s revenue already goes directly into running its cleanup operations. As a for-purpose company, it reinvests a significant portion of its revenue directly into its core mission: funding year-round cleanup operations, providing fair-wage jobs, and expanding into regions where plastic pollution is most severe.
Specifically, this includes:
- Full-time wages for cleanup crews
- Boats, gear, and safety equipment
- Sorting, processing, and recycling
- Facility operations across multiple countries
- Facility operations across multiple countries
- Logistics for transporting recovered materials
This operational investment is what drives the company’s verified, pound-for-pound impact. It ensures that each 4ocean bracelet and product directly funds ocean cleanup, creating one of the strongest impact models in the sustainability space.
And despite these significant operating costs, 4ocean still donates 1% of its revenue to environmental organizations every year through the 1% for the Planet commitment.
That means customers support two layers of impact:
- Direct cleanup operations
- Environmental nonprofit donations on top of it
Very few mission-driven brands operate with this level of dual accountability.
How this Dual-Impact Model Builds Credibility
Because 4ocean is able to fund its own cleanup infrastructure while also contributing to nonprofit conservation work, brands know they’re partnering with an organization that delivers both operational impact and philanthropic impact. That dual structure is one of the biggest reasons major companies trust 4ocean to help them meet their sustainability goals.
Past and current collaborations include Corona, Chomps, GoodPop, HP Inc., U.S. Polo Assn., Endangered Species Chocolate, Sea-Doo, Accenture, Kitsch, Abyss Battery, and The Hidden Sea, among many others.
These partnerships are built on real impact data, transparent reporting, and measurable plastic recovery. Not vague environmental claims.
So… What Happens When a Cleanup Company Pledges 1% of Revenue to the Planet?
You get a model where:
- A significant portion of revenue funds daily cleanup operations
- An additional 1% of revenue supports vetted environmental nonprofits
- Communities gain fair-wage employment
- Plastic is physically removed from the environment
- Customers support transparent, verified impact
Most importantly, you get a company that treats ocean protection as a responsibility, not a marketing line.
4ocean’s 1% for the Planet certification reinforces its long-standing mission: deliver real action, real accountability, and real solutions to the ocean plastic crisis.
Because saving the ocean isn’t charity, it’s a commitment to a cleaner future. If you’re an individual, every bracelet funds another day on the water. If you’re a brand, explore a verified partnership that converts budget into audited, measurable cleanup.
