Oceanworks will empower you with all the tools you need to craft and tell a compelling ocean plastic sustainability story. For customers preparing to launch a new product, Oceanworks provides impact metrics, media assets, press contact recommendations, and sales support FAQs. In addition, we help amplify your launch with case studies, industry articles, webinars, sweepstakes and more. We look forward to the opportunity to get your product in front of our community of ocean plastic advocates and consumers.

Yes. Each tonne of virgin plastic replaced by a recycled substitute represents a savings of 1-2 tonnes CO2e. Oceanworks provides detailed climate impact metrics based on your chosen resin, logistics requirements, and other factors. For companies striving for carbon neutrality, switching from virgin to recycled plastic is almost always a net cost savings, even if the resin costs are slightly higher, because of the reduction in carbon offsets that need to be purchased.

Yes. The Oceanworks system is designed to insert seamlessly into existing manufacturing flows. If you already have your own manufacturer please work with them to select a material and make a sample order. We have found that blind referrals by brands to manufacturers generally don’t work. Most manufacturers are hesitant to introduce new materials, so your manufacturer must know that you are committed to this program. Brands that engage closely in the process of material validation and planning are 2-3x faster to market.

Yes. Oceanworks offers ocean plastic offsets or credits through our IMPAC+ program. This is a mechanism by which we ensure an agreed amount of waste plastic material is removed from the environment on your behalf. This offering is becoming more popular among corporate clients with service businesses and those looking to go plastic neutral across their operations.

No. We do not offer product design or development services. For our ocean plastic line, we have preferred compounding and manufacturing partners who already work with our materials that may be able to assist. In addition, Oceanworks offers some white label and promotional products which may be suitable for your application.

Oceanworks' mission is to turn off the tap on ocean plastic, and recovering ocean-bound plastic is an important part of the solution. Once plastic is in the ocean, its collection and usability factor plummets. Ocean-bound plastic refers to mismanaged plastic waste that has not been properly disposed and is thus at increased risk of entering the ocean. This is a broad category that may include any mismanaged waste collected on land, beaches, or waterways within 50 km of a coast. This catchment area was first utilized in research by marine debris expert, Jenna Jambeck, in evaluating the source of plastic waste entering the ocean.

There are many different terms used today to describe plastic in and near the marine environment. There is no “correct” answer. The problem is enormous in scale, 100s of millions of tonnes wasted annually, and 10s of millions of tons flowing into the ocean. Ocean plastic includes all mismanaged plastic waste at risk of entering the ocean. This material may have already reached the ocean, or is on beaches, or in waterways. Oceanworks uses the four sub-categories of ocean plastic. | 1. Offshore: Material far from shore accumulated floating “gyres.” | 2. Nearshore: Material suspended in the shallow areas of the ocean that are close to shore. This category also includes fishing net recovery and intervention programs. | 3. Coastal: Material that has washed up onto beaches and coastlines. | 4. Waterway: Material in streams, rivers and other waterways flowing towards the ocean.

1. Metrics for IMPAC+ programs are calculated in pounds (lbs) and are associated with collection or intervention for mismanaged waste that would not be commercially viable without the credit by definition | 2. Metrics for Oceanworks Material customers are created by calculating the amount of plastic waste that has been converted to PCR and the associated energy, landfill space saved, or carbon metrics associated with using recycled resin instead of virgin in a product.

IMPAC+ by Oceanworks directly delivers the removal of at-risk plastic and can be tied to customer acquisition costs that a brand would be budgeting for anyway, at a base level, turning marketing spend into recycled plastic subsidies.

The goal of IMPAC+ by Oceanworks is to divert plastic waste from landfills that previously was not commercially viable or to incentivize collection and proper disposal of unusable material. Proper disposal is considered anything other than open incineration or an open/leaking dump. We break proper disposal into two tiers. | Tier 1: Upcycling, recycling, or re-use in products | Tier 2: Downcycling; well-managed dumping grounds (non-commercially recycleable materials); waste-to-fuel

IMPAC+ funds subsidize the infrastructure and collection of eligible waste plastic (not otherwise commercially collected). That plastic waste can then flow to any of the “proper disposal” options. If it flows into upcycling or products it can then be traced through the supply chain using the same mechanisms (e.g., mass balance) as all of Oceanworks Track & Trace eligible materials. IMPAC+ is limited to making non-commercial collection activities possible. Recycling or reuse is viewed as the “best” disposal option because it reenters the circular economy and is made into a new product, offsetting new virgin plastic.

No. Non-commercial collection activities are made possible by the IMPAC+ funds. Commercial demand for PCR in products is required to incentivize recycling activity. IMPAC+ promotes the collection of plastic waste that would not have otherwise been collected, in turn helping place that material into the circular economy. IMPAC+ by Oceanworks is entirely about the removal of the plastic from the environment that would not have been possible without additional incentives (additionality). Carbon and energy impacts ONLY come into play when the PCR replaces virgin in a product.

This is variable by SKU. Some of our supply partners use deodorizing equipment and others do not. While the smell does not typically pass to the finished product, if smell is important to you please bring it to the attention of your account manager before sampling or during development.

No. Properly processed recycled materials are free of harmful chemicals and naturally pass REACH and ROHS. Confirmation testing is available at cost. Please refer to the appropriate Oceanworks MSDS before processing.

Oceanworks offers resins in many different colors. These colors are often derived from the color of the original consumer products. Our highest demand resins are natural in color that can be dyed to meet customer specifications. For container loads and larger, we also have coloring and compounding partnerships that can match your exact color requirements. 

Oceanworks is currently focused on supplying high quality recycled plastics that can be easily used and recycled within a traditional supply stream. There is parallel work being done to offer plastics with biodegradation additives although we are not currently offering these solutions at commercial scale.

Yes. This is one of the most exciting elements of the Oceanworks offering. We can now offer many enhanced resins and compounds. These modifications range but are not limited to: UV stabilizers, strength reinforcements, melt flow alteration, and flexibility modifiers. If you are looking for an ABS, we can assist by offering substitute solutions such as toughened nylons and glass-fiber enhanced PP that work as legitimate substitutes for ABS in everyday applications. If you are looking for a TPE, we have a range of standard and customized offerings. Please consult with your account manager for more information on these engineered polymers and more.

Oceanworks lists the percent of recycled content within each stock material or resin offered on our website. From a high level our core polymers are made of 100% recycled content. Some engineered materials (such as TPE) feature additives and fillers designed to help enhance the quality of the resin in specific applications and may only have 15-30% ocean plastic.

Oceanworks offers a variety of materials from our Ocean, Averted, and PCR product lines. Current resin types include materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) , polypropylene (PP), and nylon (PA). We also offer blended resins such as TPEs and ready-to-use components such as buttons, zippers, yarns and fabrics. We are always adding new materials to the marketplace! If you need assistance sourcing a resin not currently available, please contact us. For container loads we may be able to work with our technical experts and suppliers to customize materials that are available to meet your specific technical requirements.

Yes. Our ocean plastic line currently includes both HDPE and PET that have received FDA Letters of No Objection. We are also working with partners to deliver the first source of ocean-bound, food grade PP. All of these materials are available at capacities of over 100 MT / month. Please inquire with an account manager for more information.

TDS documentation is available for all materials. TDS can be downloaded on each product page. On each TDS, you can find commonly requested technical information based on independent lab testing and historical lot data. MSDS documentation is available upon request.

For qualified customers, It's as easy as a few clicks of your mouse. Any of the materials listed as “samples available” can be ordered in increments of 10 kilograms and ship within 3-5 business days from Oceanworks warehouses in California, Singapore and Europe. Sample shipments typically ship by air via common couriers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. Please contact your account manager to place your sample order. If you can't find what you need on the website, let us know! We are always restocking our supply and adding new materials!

Yes. Oceanworks prides itself on operating a robust sample platform. We charge for sample material to offset the costs associated with procurement, testing, warehousing and handling of material. While samples do cost money, we have made materials available at low MOQ and offer volume discounts on larger sized orders. (PLEASE NOTE: sample pricing is NOT indicative of volume pricing)

No. Sample pricing is NOT the same as bulk pricing. Bulk material pricing is competitive and variable by material type, requirements, source geography, volume, etc. Please contact your account manager for a specific quote based on your polymer requirements, logistics costs, and expected volume.

Please contact your account manager to submit your order. It is important that ALL orders for Oceanworks Guaranteed products are placed through Oceanworks to provide traceability. We capture material quantity, type, location, and date of shipment and generate a unique reference identifier for each material and product combination. Documentation is compiled and presented on our Track and Trace system.

Yes. Our goal is to get your desired ocean or averted plastic to your local port as quickly and cost effectively as possible. We have partnered with numerous freight forwarders in order to provide competitive quotes on international freight. This is typically the best option for our customers. Please contact your account managers to get a shipping quote and expected timeline for your desired resin and shipping location.

Oceanworks works to align our shipments with manufacturers' preferences. Oceanworks' most common packouts are 25KG sacks or 1000 KG super sacks palletized in a full container. This may vary with material source origin. For volume purchases please specify your order in kilograms and your account manager will work with you to adjust the order to an optimized container load and packout based on your shipping route, volume, and supplier capabilities.

Oceanworks’ typical MOQ for volume pricing is 2000 kilograms. Beyond MOQ, we find that ordering in container-load volumes optimizes many variables, in turn providing best cost on material and logistics. For more information, please contact your account manager. (Orders below our minimum order quantity are possible but you will be offered premium sample pricing)

Yes. While collection and processing capacities vary by polymer and source location, we have an extensive network of suppliers with combined capacity of thousands of tonnes per month in each key polymer group. We are continually onboarding new suppliers and are committed to building our redundancy for key programs. If supply chain security is a key issue for your company or product we will work with you to qualify multiple Oceanworks sources so we can easily switch between supply streams. Please speak with your account manager for further details by resin.

Oceanworks works with many suppliers from around the world who purchase local plastic scrap and process it into usable plastic pellets, flakes or yarns. These companies are called processors or recyclers. Oceanworks is not a recycler nor do we manage any of these facilities. Oceanworks does work closely with the recyclers to promote material quality, origin authenticity, and adherence to international environmental and labor laws. Due to Oceanworks’ vast global network of suppliers we are able to scale rapidly to match the ever-increasing demand for recycled ocean plastic resins and textiles. 

Oceanworks has built a global network of trusted plastic recyclers that turn plastic scrap into usable resins. These processing facilities purchase plastic scrap from collectors and aggregators who gather mismanaged waste locally. Oceanworks is not a collector nor do we directly manage any collection operations. The plastic scrap is primarily collected by NGOs, governments, local community organizations, and micro entrepreneurs. These organizations aggregate and sort the scrap plastic and sell it to regional recycling facilities in Oceanworks’ network. Every Oceanworks Guaranteed collector or supplier completes a rigorous self-assessment and attestation process to provide detailed information and documentation on: 1) material origin, 2) social and environmental compliance, and 3) material quality. In addition, Oceanworks has partnered with third-party auditors who are available to provide an additional layer of oversight when requested.

Oceanworks sources from a global network of trusted suppliers, predominantly in Southeast Asia where roughly 60% of the world’s ocean plastic originates. Oceanworks also has a range of specialty manufacturing partners experienced in working with ocean and/or averted plastic materials who are well-positioned to directly supply finished goods to Oceanworks' partner brands.

Oceanworks Guaranteed® materials are independently vetted. We commission independent laboratories to confirm mechanical specifications. We test ash, melt point, melt flow, density and other parameters as needed. We also work with our customers to complete chemical contamination screens such as REACH or California’s Proposition 65 if needed for the product application. For every production order we review the Certificate of Analysis (COA) and conduct frequent 3rd-party testing to ensure that we are reliably delivering batch-to-batch consistency. Ongoing chemical screens may also be commissioned.

We use a proprietary process of aggregating and processing purchase orders, shipping documentation, transfer certificates, and product information to document material quantity, type, location, and date of shipment. We generate a unique reference identifier for each material and product combination and provide traceability from collection point to product delivery. In addition, manufacturing data is used to assess ocean plastic utilization on a mass balance basis in the final product. 

We provide track-and-trace documentation to support every order. All Oceanworks Guaranteed materials come with a Materials Certificate which guarantees that the waste plastic was sourced from one of Oceanworks' eight collection areas. Further, for production orders, Oceanworks provides a Transaction Certificate and visual track-and-trace so you can follow your material through the supply chain.

We work with a variety of suppliers globally and certifications vary by supplier. All Oceanworks Guaranteed (OWG) suppliers meet Oceanworks Guidelines which set a baseline standard for material purity, authenticity, environmental and labor practices. Oceanworks endorses a range of third party certificates including Global Recycling Standard (GRS), Control Union Oceanbound, and UL Recycled Content Standards.

We are committed to building a transparent and ethical marketplace. We aim to ensure that every Oceanworks Guaranteed product is sourced in alignment with our values of: 1) material authenticity and quality, 2) supply chain transparency, 3) ethical treatment of people and planet, and 4) regulatory compliance. These principles are outlined in our Code of Conduct and further described in the Oceanworks Guidelines which set forth processes for supplier qualification and material onboarding. Through this process we get visibility into material sources, collection, and processing practices at each supplier. The initial assessment may be followed-up with site visits and/or 3rd party audits as needed as well as material source and quality checks on an order-by-order basis.

Not currently. Oceanworks does not directly trade in raw materials but we do have many collectors in our network. Should you have clean and sorted material, we may be able to connect you to one of our network suppliers. If not, you may qualify to be part of our plastic credits network. We applaud the work you are doing and are eager to work with you to advance your organization and get that material back into the circular economy.  

We are continually adding to the network with the goal of shortening supply chains, increasing capacity, and reducing material costs. Becoming an Oceanworks supplier typically requires no changes to your business processes; however, we do need to evaluate your feedstock sources, environmental, social and business practices, and material quality before listing your SKUs as Oceanworks Guaranteed. Once you are approved, Oceanworks will manage sampling, provide regular updates on product development, and place container orders on behalf of our customers. To apply, please contact us.