Where it all started

Our Story

It was a love of the ocean that led us to start CleanHub

The privilege of travel gave us the opportunity to surf, sail, or just enjoy a cold drink on many of the beautiful beaches of Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America.

But this was also when we were first exposed to the very real problem of plastic pollution. It was everywhere

More than 11 million tonnes of plastic waste enter our oceans every year. A number so huge, you can barely imagine it.

For us, this realization was a turning point

We decided that we wanted to dedicate our working lives to protecting and preserving the oceans we love so dearly. To solve the plastic pollution dilemma, we needed to understand the situation where plastic pollution is at its worst. And so we went to Asia.

A period of extensive research began

We met with waste pickers, landfill owners, NGOs, government officials, small recycling businesses, shady scrap dealers and scientists. We soon understood that in these locations, everything that can be recycled has a value, and it will be recycled. The real problem was non-recyclable plastics like grocery bags, wrappers, and food containers.

So we decided to build an equal economy for the non-recyclable plastic that isn’t currently collected because it has no value.

We found local waste collection companies that we could trust, a partner, Geocycle who could utilize non-recyclable plastic waste as fuel, and built software that tracks each step of the disposal process from waste collection to the final co-processing of the material.

We now have the capacity to process more than the 11 million tonnes of plastic waste that enter our oceans every year

This is all made possible by our brand partners and their customers. Responsible brands work with us to fund the collection of plastic for every product they sell. And when individuals choose these brands, they are doing their part to keep our oceans clean.

What we value

Maximise impact

We focus on non-recyclables because they make up 80% of all ocean plastic.

Empower communities

We believe that waste management needs to be solved locally and in the appropriate cultural context. We want to make sure that the local communities have the means for the solution.