When the next generation inherits this world, how will we explain that nearly nine billion tons of plastic were allowed to flow into our oceans each year? Will we be able to say, with confidence, that we did everything we could?
That question drives our partnership with The Ocean Cleanup — a nonprofit organization developing advanced technologies to reverse decades of damage and restore the world's most vital ecosystem.
A Crisis at Ocean Scale
The ocean covers 71% of the Earth's surface and holds more than 1.3 billion cubic kilometers of water. Within it floats an estimated 5 trillion pieces of plastic, much of it accumulating in five massive garbage patches. Using conventional vessels and nets to clean it all would take thousands of years and billions of dollars.
The largest of these accumulations — the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) — stretches between California and Hawaii across 1.6 million square kilometers. That's twice the size of Texas, three times the size of France. Left unchecked, this debris will continue to devastate marine life, human health, and global economies.
Innovation That Works With Nature
The Ocean Cleanup team refused to accept that this problem was too big to solve. After years of research, testing, and engineering, they developed passive cleanup systems that harness the very forces moving the plastic — wind, waves, and currents — to gather and concentrate debris for removal.
The results are extraordinary. Their technology is projected to remove 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in just five years, at a fraction of the cost originally estimated. Their ambition? To eliminate 90% of ocean plastic pollution worldwide.
From Ocean to Impact
Now, The Ocean Cleanup is ready to put its first verified bundle of plastic — pulled directly from the GPGP — to extraordinary use. By transforming recovered ocean plastic into thoughtfully designed products, the team is empowering supporters to become active participants in the cleanup. Every purchase directly funds the next phase of the mission, creating a powerful cycle of action and awareness.
Why We're Proud to Support This Work
At the J.W. Couch Foundation, our Preservation pillar exists for moments like this — when bold vision meets proven execution, and when a single organization can change the trajectory of the planet. Our grant to American Friends of The Ocean Cleanup Foundation is more than a donation. It's a statement that we choose action over apathy, innovation over inertia, and hope over hesitation.
Every ton of plastic recovered is a promise kept to future generations. Every system deployed is proof that we can repair what we've broken. And every supporter who joins this movement helps send a message that echoes across every ocean: the tide is turning.
Together, we are cleaning our oceans — one wave, one system, one bold idea at a time.
