For Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage Apparel (asi/93390), keeping plastic out of the ocean by recycling the material to make rPET apparel isn’t enough. The company also joined volunteer efforts to help remove debris from the New Jersey coastline late last month.

Vantage Apparel (asi/93390) employees participated in Clean Ocean Action’s annual beach cleanup in New Jersey recently.

The Avenel, NJ-based supplier served as both a statewide sponsor and a volunteer team in the 41st Annual Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweep, an event that brings together community members to pick up trash along the beach. The event is held by Clean Ocean Action, a coalition of 125 community groups that work to combat ocean pollution.

“Our team members and their families live here, children take their first steps in the sand here and millions of beachgoers vacation here every year,” said Rob Watson, CEO of Vantage Apparel and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of the most influential people in promo. “This event is more than just doing something good for the planet. It’s a chance to make a visible impact and contribute to something larger than ourselves.”

At the beach cleanup this year, more than 6,000 volunteers combined to collect nearly 170,000 pieces of litter and debris along 130 miles of New Jersey coastline. Of the items collected, 83% were plastic.

Volunteers found unique debris like a wedding ring, a whole watermelon and a full quart of milk. The data collected during each cleanup event helps Clean Ocean Action identify pollution trends and advocate for environmental policies throughout the region.

“Through initiatives such as the Earthwise Collection and community partnerships like Clean Ocean Action, we continue to invest in programs that create a positive impact both within and beyond the promotional products industry,” Watson said.

Vantage emphasized sustainability, earning a Bronze medal from assessment platform EcoVadis, which measures companies for their efforts toward areas that include environmental responsibility, sustainable procurement and corporate social responsibility.

The supplier’s Earthwise Collection is a line of garments made from Repreve, a high-quality polyester yarn made from 100% recycled material, including postconsumer plastic bottles. The collection has kept more than 1.8 million plastic water bottles from reaching the ocean. Vantage has also donated more than $30,000 to Clean Ocean Action, as part of its commitment to 1% for the Planet.

Vantage Apparel ranked 35th on Counselor’s most recent list of top suppliers in the industry, with 2024 North American promotional products revenue of $55 million. New rankings are due out in July.

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