Chomps and 4ocean partner to tackle ocean plastic pollution

Chomps, a US-based snack brand, has announced a collaboration with 4ocean, a global clean-up organization, to help reduce plastic pollution in the ocean.

The partnership ensures that for every pound of plastic used in Chomps packaging, an equal amount will be removed from marine and coastal environments.

Rashid Ali, co-founder and CEO of Chomps, says: “We acknowledge our role in contributing to plastic waste and are committed to taking a leadership role in offsetting it through our partnership with 4ocean.”

“While sustainable packaging alternatives remain limited, this is a critical step in mitigating the impact of single-use plastics while we continue to explore long-term solutions.”

Clean-up collab

The coastal cleaning company 4ocean operates daily to remove plastic waste from the ocean and coastlines. It also prevents ocean-bound plastic within 50 km of shorelines from entering the sea. 

Founded in 2017, Chomp says it has removed over 40 million pounds of plastic waste from oceans since.

Alex Schulze, co-founder of 4ocean, says: “This collaboration not only helps clean our oceans and coastlines but also sets an example for what corporate responsibility can look like in action.”

For the initiative, 4ocean has created limited-edition bracelets partially made from collected plastic waste that will be offered as a gift when purchasing Chomp products. 

Pete Maldonado, co-founder of Chomps, says: “While we realize this isn’t going to immediately solve the problem, Chomps is committing resources and planning to do our part in improving plastic pollution.”

Unseen threat

Chomps says the initiative is part of a larger effort by the company to address and manage its long-term environmental impact.

Plastics in the ocean continue to be a risk, especially when they break down into microplastics. Research surrounding microplastics aims to understand the impact of the particles on human health and marine ecosystems. 

Recently, Packaging Insights spoke to Dr. Zara Botterell at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK, about the impact of microplastics on key marine species. 

She shared with us: “One of the biggest misconceptions is that microplastics are the tiny pieces of plastic you can see on the beaches. But microplastics can break down further into really tiny pieces that you can only see with a microscope, and these are often present in much higher concentrations.”