Frequently Asked Questions

The ads we display are so small that they will not be in your way. They appear as small circles on your browsers home page when you open new browser tabs. In case you use our search engine as well, then you will see a few search ads on top of the search results. Just like in any other search engine.

Your browsing experience will not be affected by OceanHero. We don't interfere with any websites whatsoever. We merely change the page that you see when you open new browser tabs. That's it.

OceanHero is monitored and reviewed by McAfee and the Chrome Webstore Review team. OceanHero is safe from malware or viruses. You are in good hands!

We do not collect any identifiable data unless you choose to create an OceanHero account, in which case we collect your name and email address. This data is not sold to any third party in any case. More detailed information on the specific non-identifiable types of data we collect and use can be found in our Privacy Policy.

OceanHero generates revenue through search advertising. When you search with OceanHero, a few small ads appear alongside your results – just like any other search engine. Advertisers pay for those placements, and we use the majority of that revenue to fund plastic collection through our verified nonprofit partners, including Plastic Bank and Waste Free Oceans. The more our community grows, the greater our collective impact. You can see exactly how much plastic has been recovered each month on our Certificates page, where we publish third-party verified reports.

OceanHero delivers the same high-quality search results you expect – powered by Microsoft Bing – but with a meaningful difference: our ad revenue goes toward cleaning the ocean instead of shareholder profits. We also offer a customizable new tab page with HD and video backgrounds, a community impact counter, built-in games, and a browsing experience designed around sustainability. Think of it as your everyday search engine with a purpose built in.

Transparency is at the core of what we do. Every month, we publish cleanup certificates from our partners – Plastic Bank and Waste Free Oceans – on our Certificates page. These documents detail exactly how many plastic bottles were collected, where they were collected, and by which organization. We have published certificates every single month since our launch in September 2019, and they are all publicly available for anyone to review. We are also a member of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) under the United Nations Environment Programme.

Yes, completely free. There is no subscription, no premium tier, and no hidden costs. OceanHero is funded entirely by advertising revenue – when ads appear in your search results and you find them relevant enough to click, that generates the revenue we use to fund ocean cleanup. You never pay anything, and your browsing experience stays fast and uninterrupted.

Yes. OceanHero is available as a dedicated browser app for both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play). The mobile browser gives you the same search experience, impact counter, and ocean-saving features as the desktop extension. You can also use OceanHero on desktop through our Chrome and Firefox browser extensions.

We work with partners operating in some of the regions most affected by ocean plastic pollution. Plastic Bank runs collection hubs in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Haiti – countries where a large percentage of ocean-bound plastic originates. Waste Free Oceans operates cleanup and recycling programs across Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. We also support Trash Waste Solutions, an NGO that helped us build a micro recycling plant in Manado, Indonesia. These are not random beach cleanups – they are structured, ongoing programs that create local jobs and recycling infrastructure.

The collected plastic does not end up in a landfill. Our partner Plastic Bank processes the material into what they call Social Plastic – recycled plastic that is sold back to manufacturers to create new products and packaging. This creates a circular economy: plastic that would have polluted the ocean instead becomes a resource with real value. Waste Free Oceans similarly transforms collected marine litter into sustainable products through their innovative recycling programs.

Yes. OceanHero is certified carbon neutral through Gold Standard verified carbon offsets. This means we compensate for the CO2 emissions generated by running our servers and digital infrastructure. You can find our Gold Standard certificate on the About Us page. We believe that fighting ocean pollution and reducing carbon emissions go hand in hand.

Your privacy is a priority. We anonymize all search data within 24 hours of collection – after that, it cannot be traced back to you. We do not track your browsing history, we do not build personal profiles, and we never sell your data to anyone. All searches are encrypted with SSL. Our browser extension only changes your new tab page and default search engine – it does not access or modify any other websites you visit. For full details, you can read our Privacy Policy.

Absolutely. Many schools, universities, and organizations already use OceanHero as their default search engine. It is a simple way to contribute to ocean conservation as part of daily operations – no budget required, no setup complexity. If you represent an educational institution or organization and would like to partner with us or run a joint awareness campaign, we would love to hear from you through our Contact page.

The counter on our homepage shows the total number of ocean-bound plastic bottles recovered by the OceanHero community since we launched in September 2019. This number represents our collective impact – it is funded by the aggregate advertising revenue generated across our entire user base. The counter updates regularly based on verified data from our cleanup partners. You can see monthly breakdowns and downloadable certificates on our Certificates page.

Removing plastic that is already floating in the deep ocean is extremely expensive and logistically difficult. Research shows that the most effective approach is to stop plastic before it reaches the water – what scientists call "ocean-bound plastic." This is waste that has not yet been properly disposed of and is at risk of entering rivers and oceans. By intercepting it at the source, especially in coastal communities that lack waste management infrastructure, we prevent pollution far more efficiently. Our partners focus on exactly this: building collection hubs and recycling infrastructure where they are needed most.