German
A community effort to restore the lost beauty of our beaches.
Operation Clean Beach
Goals achieved for 32 month of operations
(July ’20 – March ’23 )
Tons of Plastic Collected
Who benifits at present
Goals for ’23 – ’24
(April ’23 – March ’24 )
Our aim in community empowerment.
MT of pollutants to be removed
Who we are
Clean Ocean Force (COF) is a non-profit based in Sri Lanka working towards eliminating plastic, manmade pollutants, and debris from the beaches of Sri Lanka. Being an island country in the Indian Ocean, the marine ecosystem and the beaches hold not just socio-economic importance but are crucial for healthy sustenance of life in Sri Lanka. Their conservation therefore is an urgent need of the hour.
Our unique, collaborative effort to clean the beaches of Sri Lanka involves partnering with local communities, drawing both volunteers and a task force to tackle the issue of plastic. Local leaders as influencers, and waste pickers drawn from the marginalized communities will be the frontrunners of the cleanliness drive. This is a twin pronged approach with cleanliness of the beaches at its core while also creating employment opportunities for the under-privileged citizens.
Through our work we aim to make an impact in the marine and beach ecosystem of Sri Lanka while driving a lasting socio-economic change in the lives of the disadvantaged communities.
Non - Profit Organisation License
We are certified to operate as a non-profit foundation under the License issued by the Registrar General of Companies of Sri lanka.
Founders Tale
COF was founded when Thorsten Knekties and Jerome Fernando came together with the purpose to clean the Sri Lankan beaches. What started as a vacation, looking forward to enjoy the scenic beauty of the tropical beaches, ended up in a hunt for a dirt, plastic, and pollutant-free spot along the coastline of the island nation. Encroachment and illegal squatting by the poor and marginalized communities, who use the beaches as their home, further compounded the pollution problem. Rather than point fingers at authorities or civil society organizations for the lack of cleanliness, Thorsten came up with the idea to start a mission to clean the beaches. However, an individual effort would take many years to clean up the beaches which are dumped with plastic and other waste every minute. Thus, started the Clean Ocean Force, with a mission to clean up the beaches to make them enjoyable once again.
Donate now for the cause
By donating to Clean Ocean Force, you not only help us in our endeavor to eliminate plastic and man-made pollutants from the beaches of Sri Lanka but also bring livelihood opportunities to the poorest of the poor of the country who are the task force behind the cleanliness drive.
Take a Hand
Hold hands with Clean Ocean Force Foundation for a greater cause and for a calm hobby for all-aged people. Join hands with us today.
Collection of Plastics and Recycling
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PLASTICS COLLECTED?Although COF still does not do the recycling of the plastics, cans and other substances, we do the segregation of same and handover to the parties who take these for their recycling process. Whatever that the collectors collect on a daily basis are not dumped back as garbage but 99% of the recyclable materials are taken back for recycling.
COF intends to have their own recycling plants as the operation progresses with enough donations coming in for this task.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where is Clean Ocean Force based?
Clean Ocean Force is based in the city of Colombo which is the capital of Sri Lanka, a South Asian island nation in the Indian Ocean with representation in Germany from where the mission is headed and its strategy planned in accordance with the inputs from the ground.
2. What is the purpose of the Organization?
COF is a non-profit that aims to clean the beaches of Sri Lanka and restore the lost beauty, these beaches were once blessed with. We employ work force from the marginalised communities of Sri Lanka to enhance livelihood of the poor.
3. How does COF operate?
We operate through a task force recruited from the grassroots. The task force manually removes plastic, debris, and other man-made pollutants from the beaches. The Environmental Police under the Sri Lanka Police Department guides if through these operations while help is sought from local authorities for timely disposal of the collected garbage.
4. As an individual, how can I get involved in the cleanliness drive?
To volunteer, Click Here
You can also choose to support us by donating a small amount which will go towards the day to day operations and provide employment to the underprivileged.
To donate, Click Here