About Us

It started fifty years ago.

When I was a boy my parents would take my brother, sister and I camping along the Oregon coast and also to lakes and rivers in the tree covered mountains. It became my refuge, my solace. But before we got in the car and left the campsite upon my father’s orders, we would go around and pick up the tiniest trash, mostly pop top rings and cigarette butts. I didn’t know much back then. I just did as I was told.

As we grew older the mountains turned taller, the lakes turned to rivers that flowed into the ocean. We backpacked further and higher leaving no trace at our campsite. This was not an exercise or practice, it became a way of life. “Take only memories, leave only footprints” was our silent mantra to ourselves as we picked up other people's trash to packout.

Fast forward to today. Thirteen years as a small business owner in the sign industry taught me many things, One of which is the amount of waste created in everything we produce. Leaving no trace in business was impossible, leaving a smaller footprint was doable.

As time went on we sold everything and shut the business down.

Today my focus is now on providing sustainable choices for consumers. By some estimates cigarette butts are the number one form of pollution in the oceans. Other scientific data points to micro plastics, more specifically micro plastic from the textile industry, the clothes we wear. Our aim is to provide customers with a more responsible product line that encompasses materials, manufacturing, packaging, thoughtful treatment of employees--a process resulting in better products for a better world.

Welcome to The Great Oceans.