named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
30 Cities Program
Aims to cut riverine plastic flow into oceans by one-third by targeting 30 highly polluting urban river systems
Coastal Sweeps
Initiatives to remove legacy plastic from coastal areas and mangroves using local teams and partners
Interceptor Solutions
Automated barrier and conveyor systems installed in rivers to capture plastic waste before it flows into oceans
Oceans Program
Deploys large-scale systems like System 002 and System 03 to extract plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Rivers Program
Deploys Interceptor systems in polluted rivers to prevent plastic from reaching the ocean
Smart River Survey
Uses drone and imaging technology to map river plastic pollution and inform interception strategies
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Ocean and Plastic Pollution Research and Reduction 5 activities
- 30 Cities Program to Reduce Riverine Plastic FlowImplements city-scale plastic interception deployments in eight major cities worldwide as part of the 30 Cities Program, aiming to reduce river-sourced ocean plastic pollution by one-third by 2030.
- Ocean Plastic Removal in the Great Pacific Garbage PatchOperates advanced systems (including System 002 and System 03) to remove legacy plastic pollution from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, having removed over 200,000 kilograms of plastic since 2019. Operations are ongoing and include active cleanup and monitoring of plastic accumulation.
- Repurposing Collected Ocean Plastic into Commercial ProductsPartners with manufacturers to transform plastic collected from the ocean and rivers into marketable products, including sunglasses, car accessories, and vinyl records, to demonstrate reuse potential and prevent re-entry into the environment.
- River Plastic Interception with Interceptor TechnologyDeploys and operates Interceptor systems in rivers to capture plastic pollution before it reaches the ocean, with active projects in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and other global locations. The organization has intercepted over 40 million kilograms of trash from rivers through these deployments.
- Scientific Research on Plastic Pollution and Cleanup ImpactConducts and publishes peer-reviewed research on plastic pollution dynamics, environmental impacts, and cleanup efficacy, including large-scale expeditions and assessments such as the Mega Expedition and Net Environmental Benefit Assessment.
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Ocean Ecosystem Restoration & Research 2 activities
- Data-Driven Coastal Cleanups and Ecosystem Recovery MonitoringConducts targeted coastal cleanup operations downstream of Interceptor deployments using data to guide efforts, and monitors ecosystem recovery, such as in Kingston Harbour, to assess environmental impact.
- Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for Cleanup OperationsConducts Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for ocean technologies and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) for river deployments to ensure safe, effective, and sustainable operations.
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Beach and Waterway Cleanup Initiatives 1 activity
- Citizen Science and Volunteer Engagement for Pollution MonitoringOperates a survey app for citizen scientists to log plastic pollution and has launched a volunteer database to connect local partners with volunteers for cleanup and monitoring activities.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Capacity Building through Environmental Management PlanningDevelops and implements Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) that include monitoring, crisis response, and operational protocols to support large-scale cleanup deployments.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$12.51M
Contributions & grants$11.71M94%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$810K6%
Other revenue$-868
expenses
Total expenses$17.73M
Program expenses98%
Admin / overhead2%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$17.15M
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$20.21M
Cash$18.93M
Investments$0
Liabilities$16.62M
Net assets$3.58M
Liquid reserves12.8 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -36.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOYAN DAMIR SLAT | PRESIDENT | 1 | $186K |
| JOY GAO | TREASURER | 1 | $111K |
board members · 3
- CARL MR VAN DER ZANDT — SECRETARY
- PETER SCHWARTZ — DIRECTOR
- ROBERT C PARKER — DIRECTOR
relationships · 28
Who they work with
- AWS Partner — Collaborates with The Ocean Cleanup to accelerate ocean plastic removal using AI.
- Amazon Web Services Partner — Partners to use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing for detecting and predicting plastic hotspots in the ocean.
- Boyan Slat Partner — Founded The Ocean Cleanup in 2013 at age 18 in Delft, the Netherlands.
- Clean Harbors Limited Jamaica Partner — Operates Interceptor systems in Kingston Harbour, Jamaica
- Coldplay Partner — Co-created a limited-edition vinyl record made from river plastic intercepted by Interceptor 006 in Guatemala.
- Coldplay Partner — Used river plastic collected by The Ocean Cleanup in Guatemala to produce a limited-edition record.
- DLH Partner — Operates water-based waste collection and Interceptor systems in Indonesia
- DNV GL Partner — Third-party auditor that verifies traceability and Chain-of-Custody certification for ocean plastic used in products.
- Government of Indonesia Partner — Joint declaration signed in November 2022 to expand river cleanup activities.
- Government of the Netherlands Partner — Joint declaration signed in November 2022 to expand river cleanup activities in Indonesia.
- GraceKennedy Foundation Partner — Partners with The Ocean Cleanup on the Kingston Harbour project in Jamaica to support government and private sector engagement
- Infinite Giving Partner — Processes stock and cryptocurrency donations on behalf of the American Friends of The Ocean Cleanup Foundation.
- Kia Partner — Collaborated to create the world's first car accessory made from recycled ocean plastic: a Limited-Edition Trunk Liner.
- LLSB Partner — Partners with The Ocean Cleanup on Interceptor operations in the Klang River, Malaysia
- Maritime Research Institute Netherlands Partner — Collaborates on scale model testing of ocean cleanup systems under offshore conditions.
- Royal HaskoningDHV Partner — Collaborates with The Ocean Cleanup on river cleanup projects in Indonesia, including deployment and operations support
- Safilo Partner — Manufactured The Ocean Cleanup sunglasses using plastic collected from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
- Stichting The Ocean Cleanup Partner — Primary operational entity in the Netherlands responsible for implementing river and ocean plastic interception projects.
- Stichting The Ocean Cleanup Partner — Primary operational partner; the Foundation raises and grants funds to support its projects to remove plastic from oceans and rivers.
- The Ocean Cleanup Partner — Primary implementing organization deploying cleanup systems in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
- UNDP Partner — Collaborates with The Ocean Cleanup on Interceptor deployments, including in the Dominican Republic, to catalyze nationwide waste management improvements
- United Nations Environment Programme Government — Holds consultative status with UNEP to participate in policymaking processes.
- Yves Béhar and fuseproject Partner — Designed The Ocean Cleanup sunglasses with a durable, iconic aesthetic inspired by ocean waves.
- businesses Partner — Collaborates with local businesses to support cleanup initiatives and generate income opportunities in waste management and recycling.
- community groups Partner — Partners with community groups to engage local populations in cleanup projects and ensure culturally appropriate implementation.
- local fishers Partner — Collaborates with local fishers to support cleanup efforts and create income opportunities in waste management and recycling.
- local partners Partner — Collaborates with local partners to coordinate on-ground volunteer activities such as coastal sweeps and mangrove cleanups.
- rePurpose Global Inc Partner — Co-founded the Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty together.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community and Local Partnership Integrationmethodology: community_driven_solutionsBy engaging local communities and partnering with local organizations in cleanup design and implementation, we ensure sustainable, culturally appropriate outcomes because local ownership increases operational legitimacy, long-term maintenance, and social impact.
- Policy-Innovation Integrationmethodology: innovation_policy_integrationBy co-developing innovation alliances and integrating technological insights into global plastics policy, we amplify systemic change because policy informed by scalable technical solutions enables broader, structural reductions in plastic pollution.
- Prevention of Microplastic Formationmethodology: macroplastic_removal_to_prevent_microplasticsBy removing macroplastics from oceans and rivers, we prevent their fragmentation into microplastics because large plastic debris, when left in marine environments, degrades into persistent, ecologically harmful microplastics.
- Source-to-Sea Interventionmethodology: source_to_sea_interventionBy intercepting plastic pollution at rivers and removing legacy plastic from oceans and coastlines, we prevent further accumulation in marine ecosystems because stopping inflow and reducing existing loads together break the cycle of ocean plastic buildup.
- Technology-Driven, Data-Optimized Cleanupmethodology: technology_driven_cleanupBy developing and deploying modular, scalable cleanup technologies guided by real-time data and computer modeling, we increase the efficiency and effectiveness of plastic removal because adaptive, tech-enabled systems can target hotspots and evolve based on field performance.