Minnesota Company Turns Ocean Plastic Into Branded Merch

Fields Manufacturing just launched a product line that turns ocean cleanup into something you can hold in your hand.

The Minnesota-based supplier partnered with MBRC the ocean, a global nonprofit, to create branded merchandise from recycled ocean-bound plastic. Each keychain, lanyard, or wristband sold funds the removal of five additional plastic bottles from coastlines worldwide.

"Spending time outdoors and enjoying our planet's natural beauty shapes how we think about the products we create," said Matt Wagner, Fields' vice president of sales. The partnership transforms that mindset into measurable action.

MBRC the ocean operates over 250 cleanup hubs across the globe, mobilizing more than 10,000 volunteers to remove plastic waste from beaches, cities, and waterways. The collected plastic gets recycled and reintroduced into the circular economy as raw material.

Fields' Ocean Plastic collection includes sublimated wristbands, lanyards, and keychain wristlets. Each piece carries a story of transformation: waste pulled from the ocean, given new life, and funding future cleanup efforts.

The model makes sustainability accessible for businesses. Companies ordering branded merchandise aren't just getting promotional items anymore. They're directly contributing to ocean cleanup while sourcing products their customers will actually want to use.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership shows how creative collaboration can multiply impact. MBRC provides sustainability education in schools and communities, meaning the plastic collected today helps build awareness for preventing ocean waste tomorrow.

Fields isn't just removing plastic. They're creating a cycle where every purchase becomes part of the solution, turning promotional products into environmental progress.

For distributors and clients, it's a chance to attach real meaning to everyday items. That lanyard around someone's neck represents five bottles that won't end up choking marine life or breaking down into microplastics.

The partnership proves sustainability doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to be effective.