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Spurred by concerns about the growth of ocean pollution worldwide, a few S&P 500 companies — among the largest U.S. companies by market cap — are contributing to ocean cleanup endeavors.
While most people know that the ocean is the world’s largest natural resource, covering about 71% of the Earth’s surface, few understand what it would mean if the blue economy failed to thrive. The oceans are not only a vital food source, but these vast bodies of water supply ingredients for pharmaceuticals and biofuel and help absorb around 23% of the world’s annual CO2 emissions.
Yet right now, pollutants ranging from chemicals to plastics are threatening the viability of oceans on every front. Recognizing that maintaining healthy oceans is a pressing economic issue, corporate leaders are taking steps to help with ocean cleanup.
Key Points
• Oceans cover nearly 70% of the Earth’s surface and provide many of the world’s natural resources, including food and ingredients for medicine and biofuel.
• Scientific studies show that the buildup of pollutants continues to threaten the health of the seas and much of marine life, putting the blue economy at greater risk.
• Ocean pollution includes numerous industrial chemicals, such as byproducts from manufacturing and mining, but plastics comprise most of the debris in the oceans today.
• Corporate leaders recognize the potential long-term impact of not taking action to shore up the health of the world’s largest and most valuable natural resource.
• S&P 500 companies are developing technologies and systems that can help manage pollutants and clean up the oceans.
Why Cleaning the Ocean Is Important
Oceans represent an almost unfathomable source of global wealth and are essential to life on this planet. They contain some 97% of the world’s water (fresh water is about 3% of the global supply) and comprise 99% of the living space on Earth.
Understanding the Blue Economy
The seas and oceans also provide immense economic support to countries around the world, providing over $2.2 trillion in exports. Tourism and offshore oil and gas enterprises make up about two-thirds of the ocean-based economy.
Other industries that depend on the oceans include:
• Fishing
• Ship building and maintenance
• Marine equipment
• Ports
• Container shipping
While a growing number of investors are increasingly interested in ESG or sustainable investing opportunities, these strategies are still evolving. Companies that are taking a more direct role in ocean cleanup are also needed.
Impact of Industry on the Oceans
Clearly, if the oceans aren’t healthy, it will have a huge impact on human health and economies as well. Yet the current level of ocean pollution is nothing short of alarming.
• Ocean acidification threatens essential coral reef ecosystems around the world, which is impacting biodiversity and the protection of coastal areas from storms.
• Overfishing is putting both fish populations and vital food supplies at risk of depletion.
• Oil spills and industrial byproducts have a toxic effect on both human and animal populations globally.
• Fertilizer runoff from industrial farming and agriculture ends up in the oceans.
Up to 90% of the trash floating in the oceans and littering the shores is plastic. This includes disposable water bottles, plastic grocery bags, fishing nets, fishing lines, plastic cups and lids, packaging, balloons, and plastic utensils. And more than 11 million metric tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean each year.
Fortunately, work is being done to clean up and protect the oceans. Large corporations, startups, nonprofits, and governments are participating in the effort. Some companies are working on preventing ocean pollution, and others are working to clean up existing pollution.
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Which S&P 500 Companies Are Helping Clean Up the Ocean?
Cleaning up the oceans requires effort from multiple angles. Consumer education can help reduce the number of products people buy and encourage individuals to buy more sustainable products. Green investing opportunities can inspire investors to support sustainable companies.
New materials, manufacturing, and waste management processes can increase the percentage of products that get recycled or composted rather than ending up in waterways.
Cleanup projects are also needed to remove the waste and emissions that have already made their way into the oceans. Some of the S&P 500 companies participating in these efforts are included below.
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Pollution Treatment
Ocean pollution includes chemicals, trash, oil, and other substances. Additionally, the oceans absorb greenhouse gases emitted from human activities, which leads to ocean warming and acidification.
Warming and acidification result in the destruction of coral reefs and ocean ecosystems, and both fertilizer runoff and warming also contribute to other problems, such as invasive seaweed growth and algae blooms.
• Corporations such as Apple, Disney, Microsoft, and IKEA are among the top companies selected by Sustainability Magazine for their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. Helping reduce the amount of the greenhouse gas CO2 in the atmosphere and oceans may help mitigate global warming and acidification of waterways.
• Pollution and water treatment companies that help prevent ocean pollution through their products and services include American Water Works Company, Ecolab, Pentair plc, Xylem, and IDEX Corporation.
Recycling Products
Other ways that S&P 500 companies help clean the oceans are through the development of recycling and waste management programs and the production of goods that are either made from plastic gathered from the ocean or designed to reduce the use of virgin plastic.
The truth about recycling is that many items made from plastic and other materials can’t be recycled. About a quarter of the items that consumers place in recycling bins can’t be recycled by the recycling facilities they are taken to.
Only about 9% of the world’s plastic gets recycled. The rest ends up in the natural environment, gets incinerated, or goes to landfills, where it produces greenhouse gases such as methane.
Some companies are working on improved recycling methods and developing new materials, products, and packaging that can be recycled or are biodegradable.
If consumers don’t have access to local recycling programs, plastic items they use may still end up in the oceans.
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Ongoing Obstacles to Ocean Cleanup
Although the improvements and innovations in the area of ocean pollution management are a step in the right direction, they don’t solve the problem of overconsumption. In some cases, companies that appear to embrace sustainability may be employing greenwashing tactics to convince consumers that their products are eco-friendly when they’re not.
Companies are under increasing internal and external pressure to show strong Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) metrics and improve their overall sustainability, and recycling and waste production are a big part of that effort.
When evaluating a company’s ESG metrics, it’s important to do some research to see if they are really making improvements and progress toward goals, or simply putting out exaggerated or false claims.
đź’ˇ Quick Tip: Many investors may invest in a range of assets so that they’re not overly reliant on any one company or market to do well. For example, by investing in different sectors you can add diversification to your portfolio, which may help mitigate some risk factors over time.
Startup Companies to Watch
In addition to S&P 500 companies, many startups are developing technologies to help clean the oceans. Several companies recognized among America’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2026 are venture-backed startups or emerging scaleups developing technologies relating to ocean health, water recycling, sustainable packaging, and pollution reduction. Some of these include:
• Fervo: A Texas-based geothermal energy company that has entered into agreements to sustainably power data centers.
• Pivot Bio: Based in Minnesota, this company uses gene-edited microbes to create a natural fertilizer for farmers that could reduce runoff into oceans.
• Arevon: This company is based in Arizona and focuses on utility-scale solar energy generation and storage, reducing the amount of carbon the oceans will absorb.
• Tidal Vision: A Bellingham, Washington is applying biomolecular solutions to reduce the chemicals used in water treatments, including for water treatment systems near ports and maritime sites.
• TemperPack: This Richmond, Virginia-based company produces compostable and recyclable cold-chain packaging materials.
The Takeaway
When it comes to sustainability, everything is connected. To clean the oceans and prevent further damage to the world’s biggest natural resource, efforts are needed across the entire global supply chain. In addition to investing in individual stocks of companies working to help clean the oceans, investors can also find index funds and ETFs that include several companies, such as those focused on ESG, waste management, materials, or clean oceans.
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FAQ
What companies dump waste into the ocean?
Although companies may not be directly dumping waste into the ocean, studies have found that a significant share of ocean plastic pollution can be traced back to consumer products and packaging made by major global brands. Environmental audits have identified companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Danone among the brands commonly associated with plasticware collected from beaches, rivers, and coastal cleanups worldwide.
That said, some of these same companies have been recognized as sustainable for their efforts to target sustainable packaging and reduce greenhouse emissions in the next 10 to 25 years.
Which industry pollutes the ocean most?
In terms of plastic waste, the beverage industry contributes the most to ocean pollution with its plastic bottles that are generally not recycled. Other industries, including offshore oil and gas, shipping, and commercial fishing, also contribute to ocean pollution through oil spills, abandoned fishing gear, and industrial waste.
What companies are cleaning up the ocean?
Startups such as The Ocean Cleanup and the Seabin project are working to clean up the ocean. Some companies are also developing technologies designed to intercept plastic waste in rivers and harbors before it reaches the ocean, turning cleanup efforts into a kind of environmental goalie system for waterways.
Photo credit: iStock/Philip Thurston
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