Vantage Apparel (asi/93390) made a splash this week for environmental nonprofit Clean Ocean Action.

The Top 40 supplier fulfilled its 1% for the Planet pledge by donating a portion of the sales from its sustainable Earthwise collection to the Long Branch, NJ-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting marine life and the ocean environment. In the three years since Earthwise was introduced, the apparel styles – made with premium Repreve recycled fiber – have helped to keep more than 1 million post-consumer plastic bottles from landfills and oceans, according to the supplier. Vantage Apparel has donated more than $30,000 in total to Clean Ocean Action since it began its partnership with 1% for the Planet, according to Gina Barreca, director of marketing.

From left, Suzanne Power and Dr. Swarna Muthukrishnan of Clean Ocean Action; Eric Wukitscz, Kristen Grazioso and Ira Neaman of Vantage Apparel; Cindy Zipf, Kari Martin, Kira Cruz and Kiana Miranda of Clean Ocean Action; and Gina Barreca of Vantage Apparel.

“We are committed to doing our part to help protect our planet, and we believe that Clean Ocean Action is doing important work in keeping our oceans clean and healthy,” said Ira Neaman, president of Vantage Apparel. “We’re proud to support their efforts to make a positive impact on the environment.”

To kick off the company’s Earth Day events, Neaman, Barreca and Eric Wukitsch, senior vice president at Vantage, personally delivered the donation to Clean Ocean Action.

Clean Ocean Action has been working since 1984 to identify sources of pollution in the ocean and to promote long-term solutions to protect marine life and coastal environments. The organization has been recognized for its efforts by numerous environmental groups, government agencies and other organizations.

“Vantage Apparel’s donation makes a big splash to help our organization in our efforts to protect the world’s oceans,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action. “We’re most grateful for their support and partnership in this important work.”

Vantage Apparel has been in the promotional apparel industry since 1977. With over 1,200 embroidery heads, the supplier says it’s the largest apparel decorator in North America. Vantage Apparel ranks 36^th on Counselor’s list of the Top 40 suppliers in the industry, with 2021 North American promotional products revenue of $45.4 million. Vantage Apparel began its partnership with 1% for the Planet in 2019.

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