Kicking Off 2025: Love Blue Maui’s Latest Updates & Initiatives

As we dive into the new year, Love Blue Maui is making waves with new projects, meaningful collaborations, and impactful clean-ups to protect our beloved shores.

Spreading the Message Statewide

On January 11, 2025, we had the incredible opportunity to present at the Hawai’i State Student Council (HSSC) meeting on O’ahu, with support from Pledge to Our Keiki. This event allowed us to connect with passionate student leaders across the islands and introduce our newest initiative—Art For A Cause.

Art For A Cause is designed to engage schools beyond Maui, encouraging students to participate in beach clean-ups, collect trash, and transform it into stunning marine creature sculptures. This creative recycling project raises awareness about ocean pollution in a unique and artistic way. The inspiration came from our very first guest speaker, an environmental artist who ignited our passion for blending art with advocacy. We are beyond excited to see how schools bring this vision to life!

January Clean-Ups: A Strong Start

We started the year strong with a January 19th beach clean-up, where our dedicated volunteers removed approximately 40-50 lbs of waste from our shores. Every piece of trash collected makes a difference in protecting marine life and preserving Hawaii’s natural beauty. Looking ahead, we are thrilled to be teaming up with Pledge to Our Keiki, Maui Key Clubs, and Maui High’s Robotics team for an upcoming clean-up event next weekend in Lahaina. This initiative holds extra significance as Lahaina continues to recover from last year’s devastating challenges. Coming together as a community to care for both the environment and one another is at the heart of what Love Blue stands for.

February Collaboration with Kanu Hawaii

Most recently, on Sunday, February 16th, Love Blue Maui partnered with Kanu Hawaii, a local nonprofit committed to environmental and community well-being. Volunteers of all ages came out in full force, donning their Love Blue vestsand working together to keep our beaches clean and thriving. A special shoutout goes to our student leaders and ambassadors, many of whom are high school students leading the charge in environmental stewardship. Their dedication and leadership make the Maui Chapter truly inspiring, proving that young changemakers can have a profound impact on their communities.

Looking Forward

As 2025 unfolds, we are eager to expand our reach, build more partnerships, and continue protecting Hawaii’s beaches. Whether through creative initiatives like Art For A Cause, hands-on clean-ups, or collaborations with local organizations, our mission remains the same—to keep our oceans clean and communities engaged. Stay tuned for more updates, and if you’re on Maui, we’d love to see you at our next clean-up!

Mahalo to everyone who has supported Love Blue Maui—we couldn’t do this without you.

Follow us on social media and join us in making a difference! 🌊💙

Follow @lovebluemaui on Instagram for more information abou this chapter!

Love Blue Inc.: Back in Action for the New Year!

As the new year unfolds, Love Blue Inc. is diving back into our mission to protect and preserve our oceans. With college chapters regrouping after winter break and Founder & CEO AJ Caruso committing to a 365-day cleanup challenge, we’re setting the tone for 2025 with consistency, leadership, and impact.

A Year of Leadership and Action

AJ Caruso’s yearlong cleanup challenge is more than a personal mission—it’s a testament to the dedication that fuels Love Blue Inc. This daily act of service not only highlights the pervasive problem of ocean pollution but also inspires our community to take action. Keep an eye on our social media for updates, as AJ’s journey will visually illustrate the necessity of our work.

Community Spirit in Action

Our chapters are kicking off the year with enthusiasm:

• Wildwood Crest Chapter: Undeterred by snowy weather, a small but determined group of community members braved the cold to remove over 60 pounds of trash. Their dedication reminds us that every effort counts, regardless of the conditions.

  
  

• Florida Gulf Coast University Chapter: Starting strong, 28 volunteers came together to collect an impressive 148 pounds of trash. The turnout showcases the power of teamwork and the impact of college students rallying for a cause.

  
  

• Maui Chapter: Partnering with a high school club, the Maui team hosted a successful cleanup and continues to lead online events, ensuring engagement even beyond the beaches.

  
  

• Coastal Carolina University Chapter: Back in action with their first cleanup of the semester last week, they’re keeping the momentum going with two more events this month. On Thursday, January 23rd, join them at 5 PM at Pier 14 in Myrtle Beach (weather permitting), and don’t miss their final January cleanup on Monday, January 29th at 5 PM at Bummz Beach Café Beach.

  
  

• Flagler College Chapter: Our newest chapter is gearing up for its debut cleanups in February. Supplies are on the way, and we’re excited to see their impact take shape.

  
  

Building Momentum

Our other chapters are finalizing their schedules, so stay tuned for updates! Meanwhile, our Executive Team is hard at work pursuing new chapter candidates across the country, planning events like Sustainability in Motion, participating in Surf Expo, and organizing more community fundraisers.

Spotlight on Cape May County

As our home base, Cape May County will see an increase in community events and fundraisers this year. From cleanups to outreach efforts, we’re committed to deepening our local impact while continuing to expand nationwide.

Join the Movement

Whether you’re a student, community member, or ocean advocate, there’s a place for you in our mission. Follow us on social media, check out our upcoming events, and join us in making a difference. Together, we can protect our oceans and inspire others to do the same.

Here’s to a year of growth, impact, and clean beaches! 🌊

Love Blue Inc. Contributes to Netflix's "Coco" Octopus Sculpture in Celebration of Our Oceans Documentary

In an inspiring collaboration that brought art, environmental advocacy, and storytelling together, Love Blue Inc.'s Wildwood Crest Chapter played a pivotal role in the creation of "Coco," an upcycled octopus sculpture commissioned by Netflix. The sculpture was crafted to celebrate the release of Our Oceans, a new nature documentary narrated by Barack Obama. This remarkable project demonstrates how grassroots action can ripple into global environmental conversations.

From Beach Cleanups to a Global Spotlight

Throughout the summer, Love Blue Inc.'s Wildwood Crest Chapter hosted numerous beach cleanups, collecting an impressive volume of plastic litter and debris from the shoreline. Rather than simply disposing of the collected waste, the chapter preserved it, sending the debris to TerraCycle, a global leader in upcycling and recycling. This collaboration culminated in "Coco," an octopus sculpture composed of over 2,000 pieces of beach and ocean plastic waste. The sculpture’s vibrant and textured design not only captures the beauty of marine life but also serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address plastic pollution.

A Shared Mission

“Coco” was a product of teamwork among TerraCycle Foundation, Clean Ocean Action, A Greener Future, 5 Minute Foundation, and Love Blue Inc., with the collected plastic serving as the raw material for the sculpture. The town of Wildwood Crest, NJ, provided the perfect backdrop for the project’s unveiling, showcasing a community deeply committed to environmental stewardship. For Love Blue Inc., this collaboration was a full-circle moment. Founder and CEO AJ Caruso credits Netflix’s previous nature documentary series, Our Planet, as the spark that ignited his passion for ocean conservation. Watching that series inspired AJ and his friends to start Love Blue Inc., an organization now making waves across the country. “Seeing our efforts come full circle, contributing to a project that originated with the same platform that inspired Love Blue, is a dream come true,” said Caruso.

Art for Awareness

“Coco” stands as a symbol of hope and innovation in tackling marine pollution. It highlights the power of partnerships between local organizations, creative industries, and global platforms like Netflix. By using discarded materials to create something beautiful and thought-provoking, the sculpture invites audiences to consider their role in protecting marine ecosystems.

A Lasting Legacy

This project underscores Love Blue Inc.'s mission of turning small actions—like community beach cleanups—into meaningful change. With contributions from partners like TerraCycle and the support of organizations dedicated to protecting our oceans, the movement continues to grow. The journey of “Coco” is not just a testament to what’s possible when organizations come together for a shared cause, but also a reminder of the powerful stories behind every piece of litter collected.

Thank You to the Advocates

Love Blue Inc. extends its gratitude to TerraCycle Foundation, Clean Ocean Action, A Greener Future, 5 Minute Foundation, and the Wildwood Crest community for their unwavering support. Together, their efforts demonstrate the transformative potential of environmental stewardship and community collaboration.

A Message to All

As Our Oceans reach audiences worldwide, may “Coco” inspire individuals to take action—whether through reducing plastic use, participating in cleanups, or supporting organizations like Love Blue Inc. Together, we can create a healthier, more sustainable future for our oceans and the life they sustain.