The Ocean Cleanup secures vital funding for scale up in mission to rid oceans of plastic

Rotterdam, 9 March 2026

• The Audacious Project funding sets strong foundation for 30 Cities Program
• Backing kick starts program efforts to cut up to one third of global plastic emissions from rivers by 2030
• Planned global deployment of 39 innovative Interceptor solutions this year

The Ocean Cleanup, the global non-profit actively removing plastic pollution and waste from rivers, coasts, and the ocean, has secured a portion of the funding to implement its ambitious 30 Cities Program.

Launched at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice last year, the 30 Cities Program aims to cut up to one third of all plastic emissions from rivers into the ocean by the end of the decade by deploying The Ocean Cleanup’s proven Interceptor technology in 30 of the world’s most polluting urban centers. The cost of executing the 30 Cities Program has been assessed at $350 million USD.

The Ocean Cleanup has been named as one of the ten organizations receiving funding from The Audacious Project as part of their 2025 cohort. The non-profit can now reveal that The Audacious Project’s community of donors have collectively committed $121 million towards the 30 Cities Program.

The single largest donation The Ocean Cleanup has received, this funding sets a strong foundation for the program and will be instrumental to the planned deployment of Interceptor solutions this year in:

• Barranquilla, Colombia
• Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Mumbai, India
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Denpasar, Indonesia
• Tasikmalaya, Indonesia
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Panama City, Panama
• Manila Bay Region, Philippines

Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, said: “The 30 Cities Program is a culmination of over a decade of research and operations in the ocean and rivers. To have The Audacious Project’s endorsement of our comprehensive strategy and this critical next phase of our mission is a major milestone. It validates all the work the team has carried out over the years and the impact we have had on local communities and ecosystems – an impact we will now deliver at an unprecedented scale.”

The Ocean Cleanup’s commitment to creating long-term impact is one of the guiding principles behind the 30 Cities Program. In addition to collaboration with local authorities, and other key stakeholders, each river undergoes an exhaustive analysis to identify the most impactful locations for deployment and create tailor-made Interceptor solutions that fit and complement local contexts. These innovative deployments help stimulate the development of new infrastructure and enable the recovery of riverine and marine ecosystems that support the social, cultural, and economic dynamics of local communities.

The momentum created by the completion of the 30 Cities Program will catalyze action and support for the non-profit to tackle the remaining two thirds of global emissions. This, in conjunction with coastal sweeps of areas downstream from Interceptors, the deployment of upgraded ocean systems hunting plastic hotspots, and continued advocacy for better international regulations and policy, will enable The Ocean Cleanup to achieve its ultimate mission of removing 90% of all floating plastic from the ocean by 2040.

About The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup is a nonprofit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. By conducting extensive research, engineering scalable solutions, and partnering with governments, industry, and like-minded organizations, The Ocean Cleanup is working to stop plastic inflow via rivers and remove legacy plastic already polluting the oceans. As of February 2026, the non-profit has collected over 47 million kilograms (103.5 million pounds) of trash from aquatic ecosystems around the world. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a multi-disciplined team of approximately 200 people. The organization is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with international operations in 10 countries.

About The Audacious Project

Launched in 2018, The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative dedicated to supporting bold ideas with the potential to change the world. Housed at TED and powered by the belief that ideas change everything, Audacious leverages a global network of visionary social entrepreneurs and funders to support bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges.

Audacious is issue-agnostic and supports grantees to balance audacity and achievability for lasting, systemic impact. Since 2018, Audacious has catalyzed more than $7 billion for 70 projects, demonstrating what’s possible when we dream bigger and act together. The funding community includes respected donors and philanthropists including ELMA Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, MacKenzie Scott, Pivotal Ventures, Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin, Skoll Foundation, Valhalla Foundation and more.