The Ocean Cleanup Modernizes Global Operations with SAP S/4HANA Cloud

The Ocean Cleanup is implementing SAP S/4HANA Public Edition to help expand its operations globally in its mission to clean up rivers and oceans of plastic pollution.  

The Dutch nonprofit organization, whose mission is to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic and clean up plastic pollution in 90 river cities, has already achieved the removal of over 40 million kilograms of waste and is scaling its activities to reach its 2040 goal.  

This accelerated growth required a modern ERP platform, which would support the expansion of the organization’s processes, projects, and international activities. 

Global Collaboration to Facilitate Scalable Growth  

The environmental nonprofit required global cross-collaboration and communication between teams. For instance, the organization’s financial teams must work closely with fundraisers to ensure donations are allocated effectively across global initiatives. Cross-collaboration between project teams, engineers, and data analysts to align technology, planning, and budgets, also supports the organization’s core activities across the globe. 

“We are growing exponentially, and our internal processes have become increasingly complex, with operations spanning multiple countries,” Aurelia Ferraro, senior partnership manager at The Ocean Cleanup, said. “SAP S/4HANA is the ideal system to manage that complexity,” she added. 

Powered by the HANA in-memory database, SAP S/4HANA Cloud provides real-time insights across operations, finance, logistics, and project work. With a single data model, organizations can eliminate silos and coordinate more effectively across countries and functions, essential for globally distributed operations. 

The organization chose a phased implementation process, with the project management and logistics modules that provide insight into The Ocean Cleanup’s complex river and ocean projects being implemented first. The organization expects to complete the transition to SAP S/4HANA by the end of 2025.  

What This Means for SAPinsiders 

Cloud ERP is becoming essential for globally distributed organizations. The Ocean Cleanup’s adoption of SAP S/4HANA Cloud highlights how nonprofits and mission-driven organizations can use modern ERP to streamline processes, improve data visibility, and scale operations across multiple countries.  

Standardizing core processes enables scalable growth. By implementing key modules such as project management and logistics first, The Ocean Cleanup’s project shows how organizations can phase their way into SAP S/4HANA while gaining immediate transparency into complex, location-based activities. 

Real-time data and cross-team collaboration are emerging as top drivers for cloud transformation. The decision reflects a growing trend among SAP customers who view real-time insights, integrated planning, and simplified global coordination as critical capabilities for supporting rapid expansion.