Doing is believing

This group of more than 50 independent resorts and hotels could easily just write a check. But it opted for something consumers are craving more than ever these days: experiences. Throughout 2025, guests at 12 coastal properties in Benchmark Resorts & Hotels’ portfolio can book curated packages, including everything from a 1902 Skipjack sailing experience in Maryland to a guided tour of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts and even a hang ten surfing lesson in Hawaii. Pun intended, Schulze says it’s really cool that Benchmark Resorts & Hotels wanted to “dive in” and help in such a unique way. He’s personally keen to book the kayak package at Naples Grande Beach Resort, an award-winning property in his own backyard.

Whether it’s a package that includes a private boat excursion with a friendly lobster fisherman in Maine or one that includes paddle boarding around a 19th-century shipwreck off Florida’s Treasure Coast, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels’ customized activation approach helps accomplish 4ocean’s main goal of raising awareness. Of course, there’s also a monetary component: for every night guests stay, the portfolio will contribute $10 to 4ocean. It may not sound like much, but every $10 helps 4ocean’s team remove approximately 10 lbs of trash. If

Think global, act local

All it takes is one small piece of plastic to kill a turtle, and according to a 2018 study published in Scientific Reports, more than 50 percent of the world’s sea turtles have consumed plastic. What would happen if sea turtles—already endangered—go extinct? Erosion. When sea turtles lay their eggs on beaches, they leave behind nutrients that are vital to dune vegetation. Without this vegetation, dunes aren’t as stable. Without dunes, storm surges become a serious issue, doing damage to inland ecosystems and destroying infrastructure. This depressing chain of reaction doesn’t end. That’s why it’s important to start at the source.

Schulze sums it up as thinking globally and acting locally. “We understand that cleaning plastic from the ocean isn’t going to end the ocean plastic crisis,” he admits. “ But it does a damn good job at driving awareness that this problem exists.” Money raised by 4ocean goes toward paying its staff of 200 full-time captains—who comprise its cleanup crew—but it also goes toward getting more people involved. While Benchmark Resorts & Hotels’ guests don’t have to roll up their sleeves and trade sleeping in for a sunrise beach cleanup, knowing that part of the rate they’re paying for their vacation is going toward removing the ocean’s plastic might inspire them to do more.

From trash to treasure

“The goal is to get more people on board with exactly what’s happening to the oceans and what they can be doing on a day-to-day basis to cut down on the amount of plastic that is being consumed,” explains Schulze before adding that most of 4ocean’s customers are from landlocked states. That’s right: in addition to partnering with corporations, 4ocean has an online sustainable store featuring handcrafted cord bracelets made out of the plastic they collect and repurpose. The sale of each bracelet equates to removing 5 lbs of trash, all of which is accounted for.

“Before, during, and after cleanup, we have photos of every single pound that’s ever been removed,” says Schulze, who also incorporates geotracking so his team knows where the trash was collected. To date, 4ocean has removed over 40 million pounds of trash from the world’s ocean, rivers, and coastlines. That said, the objective is to get more people involved. “There are so many things in ocean conservation that have a pessimistic outlook, but I think that we could really have a collective impact just by getting more people on board and talking about it,” he says. “That’s what’s really going to drive significant change across the board.”

Explore 4ocean experiences at a dozen resorts and hotels across the Benchmark Resorts & Hotels portfolio, a collection of more than 50 distinct, independent properties by Pyramid Global Hospitality. Located in diverse destinations across the globe, Benchmark’s resorts and hotels reimagine immersive travel, inspiring guests to create memories born from meaningful exploration, authentic moments, and innovative experiences – no matter the occasion. Benchmark guests can earn complimentary gift cards, on-property perks, and destination experiences through the collection’s signature Mosaic Rewards program.