From rivers to oceans
As much as 90% of the plastic polluting our oceans comes from a land-based source. Rivers act like superhighways that transport up to 5.5 billion pounds of land-based plastic pollution into our oceans every single year.
It’s estimated that over 40 million pounds of plastic waste flows through Guatemala’s Rio Motagua and its tributaries each year.
We’re teaming up to solve this problem.
The mighty Motagua
Wherever you have a large human population, little to no waste management infrastructure, and a waterway, you have a recipe for plastic pollution in our oceans.
In Guatemala, that’s the Rio Motagua.
Spanning two-thirds of the country, the Motagua River runs over 300 miles from the remote central highlands of Guatemala to the Gulf of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea.
Every rainy season brings a flood of plastic
The Rio Motagua is fed by over 40 tributaries that flow through nearly 5,000 square miles of country where waste management is either nonexistent or privatized and inaccessible due to its high cost.
Before plastic was introduced to Guatemala, everything was made from organic materials that decompose. Now, plastic waste is discarded in the environment where it remains with devastating results.
Every summer during the rainy season, all of the trash that has accumulated inland is washed into the Rio Motagua and out to sea.
Winds, tides, and currents push floating debris back onto the coastline or carry it even further out to sea where it impacts crucial ecosystems like the Mesoamerican Reef.
One river, major impact
Roughly 2% of all the plastic entering our oceans comes from the Rio Motagua. That may not seem like a lot, but global aviation accounts for 1.9% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
In terms of impact, stopping the flow of plastic in this one river would be to the ocean plastic crisis what eliminating all air travel and freight would be to climate change.
A River of Change from Corona x 4ocean helps reduce plastic pollution in our oceans by moving collection efforts upstream into highly polluted rivers like the Rio Motagua.
This 5-year project will help restore natural ecosystems and biodiversity; create full-time, living-wage jobs for people who are directly impacted by plastic pollution in the river; and build infrastructures for lasting change.
Testing new equipment
In April 2023, we installed an Elastec Beach Bouncer containment boom system in the Rio Motagua. This modular floating barricade is designed to intercept and collect debris as it flows downstream without restricting wildlife.
While this equipment has already seen great success in streams, canals, and slow-moving rivers where waters are calm, its potential hasn’t really been tested in more powerful waterways like the Rio Motagua—until now.
This summer, we’ll test our containment boom system in a variety of configurations to determine which setup is most effective.
Our local cleanup crews will regularly service the boom to check its integrity and remove any plastic debris that accumulates.
We hope to prevent hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash from entering the ocean with this containment boom system.
And with Guatemala’s rainy season upon us, we expect to figure out what works—and what doesn’t—pretty quickly!
What happens to plastic recovered from the river
Step
1
Accumulated debris is removed from the containment boom and stored in supersacks so nothing reenters the environment
Step
2
Supersacks of recovered debris are transported downriver to our satellite locations along Guatemala’s east coast
Step
3
On Barge Days, all of the supersacks stored at our satellite locations are loaded onto a massive 50-foot barge that transports them back to our main operational base in Puerto Barrios
Step
4
Once the barge is unloaded by the crew in Puerto Barrios, all recovered plastic is weighed, documented, and sorted by type, color, and condition
Step
5
Plastic that meets our quality requirements is shredded, flaked, and pelletized before it’s transformed into our signature bracelet cord
Step
6
Local artisans from Wakami use our recycled 4ocean Plastic cord to craft gorgeous bracelets and other products that directly fund this cleanup operation
From the Rio Motagua onto your wrist
Pull Five pound of trash from Guatemala’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines with a special edition Corona x 4ocean Bracelet.
Handcrafted by local artisans in partnership with Wakami
Your purchase funds A River of Change from Corona x 4cean
Made with 100% recycled 4ocean Plastic cord
Handcrafted by local artisans in partnership with Wakami
Your purchase funds A River of Change from Corona x 4ocean
Made with 100% recycled 4ocean Plastic cord
Global problem, local impact
Around the world, plastic pollution disproportionately impacts poor and marginalized communities.
In Guatemala, almost half of all people live in poverty. In indigenous communities, which comprise roughly 40% of the population, nearly 80% of people live in poverty.
That’s why it’s important to us that this initiative has a direct social and environmental impact in Guatemala.
All of our captains and crews are hired directly from the communities we serve and every bracelet in the Corona x 4ocean River of Change Collection is handcrafted by a local artisan in partnership with Wakami.
A bracelet to build a dream on
Fueled by love for the earth and its people, Wakami is an ethical lifestyle brand that works to transform Guatemala’s cycles of poverty into cycles of prosperity.
As a Certified B Corp, Wakami hires women living in Guatemala’s rural communities to design and produce their thoughtfully crafted, handmade accessories. These are women who haven’t had the luxury of dreams or the support they need to grow.
In addition to providing the reliable source of income these women need right now, Wakami also provides business and skill training to set a strong foundation for their future growth as entrepreneurs, which creates new opportunities for education, prosperity, and wellness for each woman and every member of her family.
A true river of change.
Calling all brands!
We need your help to end the ocean plastic crisis. Explore our partnership opportunities and join a growing community of brands and businesses that are working together to clean our oceans and build a more sustainable future.
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