more about shore and stream

Shore & Stream is a grassroots Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to keeping plastic and other waste out of our environment — and giving what can be repurposed a new life.

Unlike traditional businesses, a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) is legally structured to balance purpose with profit. We’re required to show a measurable and documented contribution to the public good. For Shore & Stream, that means tangible progress in reducing plastic waste, supporting environmental initiatives, and building cleaner, healthier communities. Our success isn’t measured by earnings alone, but by the positive impact we can prove we’ve made.

To be honest, I never pictured myself running a company like this. My career began over twenty years ago in a very different world — as a crime scene cleaner. Over time, that path led me into the medical waste industry, and later into solid waste management.

Working in those industries, I saw things most people never do — literal mountains of garbage every single day. Piles of materials that could easily be repurposed or recycled, yet were headed straight for the landfill. For instance, it’s estimated that nearly 900 million detergent bottles end up in landfills every year — and that’s just one example among countless others.

Seeing that kind of waste on such a massive scale sticks with you. It changes how you look at the world.

As I got older, I started thinking about legacy — about what kind of mark we leave behind, both as individuals and as a society. I wanted to do something that drew on what I already knew — waste, cleanup, systems — but turned it into something positive. Something that could make an immediate, measurable difference in the world.

That’s how Shore & Stream was born. It’s not about perfection or grand promises. It’s about using what we know to do better — one step, one cleanup, one repurposed piece at a time.

We’re not perfect, and we don’t expect anyone else to be. I don’t claim to live a perfect green lifestyle — I’m just a flawed human trying to make things a little better.

Every Shore & Stream event follows that same philosophy: inclusive, welcoming, and judgment-free. Anyone can show up and be part of the effort, as long as they respect others and the space we share.

As Shore & Stream grows, we’ll continue developing small-scale recycling systems that give new life to materials most people overlook. Through cleanups, partnerships, and recycled product campaigns, we’re proving that change doesn’t have to start big — it just has to start.

Honest work. Steady progress. Purpose over profit.
That’s who we are.