I am grateful to have been raised on the ocean and growing up at Florida’s picturesque beaches… living life in a postcard. However, oftentimes than not, the plastic crisis goes unnoticed. Garbage and recycling bins are all around the beaches and yet, people still leave their garbage lying around. You’d be surprised at the amount of cigarette butts and bottle caps you step on. It truly is mindboggling. Did you know that garbage affects sea life and our community? Do you know that every time you step foot on the beach, if you pick up trash you see laying around that you could save a life? Try and avoid single use plastics… every little bit counts. 90% of ocean plastic pollution starts on land and enters the ocean through river mouths. Ocean plastic is a global crisis. Removing plastic from coastal environments creates cleaner and safer living conditions.

4Ocean helps with that! Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper are making innovative changes throughout their various ocean cleanup efforts. YOU can purchase a bracelet, sign up for ocean cleanups or get involved with their Ocean Plastic Recovery (OPR) program. Every bracelet purchased funds the removal of one pound of trash. Each bracelet is waterproof and made with recycled materials: the beads are made from recycled glass, while the cord is made from recycled water bottles. 4Ocean, a Florida based company, is cleaning the ocean and coastlines, one pound at a time. In less than 2 years, they have removed over 4 million pounds of plastic.

“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.” - Robert Wyland