4G Recycling and AE Global to Form Social-Business Enterprise, Ocean Recovery Group

Ocean Recovery Group seeks to solve the planet’s ocean-bound plastic crisis in the Caribbean and Western Hemisphere

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--4G Recycling, a multigenerational recycling and waste-management family owned business, and AE Global, a multinational end-to-end packaging solutions company, announced today the joint-venture formation of the Ocean Recovery Group (ORG) – a social-business enterprise that leverages over 100 years of recycling-industry experience to better collect, clean and recycle ocean-bound plastics. Headquartered north of Miami, Florida with initial processing operations located in the Dominican Republic, Ocean Recovery Group’s focus is reducing the quantity of ocean-bound plastic that ends up in the Caribbean and throughout the shores of the Western Hemisphere.

“The threat we face from ocean-bound plastics pollution is real and monumental. However, I am optimistic that Ocean Recovery Group will provide a critical solution to this crisis,” said Ocean Recovery Group President, Zachary Kirstein. “Ocean Recovery Group’s extensive knowledge in the recycling and packaging industries paired with our practical, sustainable and scalable solution will dramatically reduce the quantity of plastics ending up in our oceans, as well as the need for virgin plastics for product production.”

Ocean Recovery Group will be the first ocean-bound plastic integrated recycler in the Dominican Republic as well as the first in the Caribbean. Currently, less than 8% of plastics in the Dominican Republic are recycled. 92% of these plastics could end up in the ocean – affecting the waters both off the coast of the United States and across the globe.

Ocean Recovery Group has partnered with a significant local processing partner, Next Generation Recycling Latin America, to construct their initial plant in La Vega, Dominican Republic. The La Vega plant is expected to be fully operational by March 2022. Ocean Recovery Group’s social-enterprise business follows a circular economy model enabling Ocean Recovery Group to collect, clean, and sell the recovered plastics to re-processors to make plastic pellets. These pellets will then be sold as recycled plastic to manufacturers, significantly reducing the need for virgin plastics and enabling these manufacturers to create more eco-friendly diverse products.

“Ocean Recovery Group has the equipment, experienced management, and ability to collect, clean, sort, bale and ship ocean-bound plastics,” Kirstein said. “Because of this, I know that Ocean Recovery Group has the capability to tackle the ocean-bound plastic problem and improve our communities' environmental health.”

About Ocean Recovery Group

Ocean Recovery Group is working to solve the planet’s ocean-bound plastic crisis in the western hemisphere. Ocean Recovery Group is a social-business enterprise that leverages over 100 years of recycling-industry experience to better collect, clean and recycle ocean-bound plastics. Our extensive knowledge across the recycling and packaging industries paired with our commitment towards greater good enables Ocean Recovery Group to effectively and efficiently divert large and scalable amounts of ocean-bound plastics to help CPG retailers achieve their plastic neutrality goals.