As Suzuki Marine celebrates its 60th anniversary, its Clean Ocean Project continues to evolve. It now includes an increasing number of problem-solving ideas to help create cleaner, smarter solutions for recreational boating and the environment.
“For us, the plan is to discover the problem, figure out the problem, know where the problem is happening and go there, and at the end of the day, go see the customer to make sure it gets fixed,” says Brandon Cerka, Suzuki Marine USA vice president of sales and marketing. “It incorporates building relationships, and for us those relationships are with dealers and with customers, and it incorporates place, which for all of us involves our waters.”
He adds: “When it comes to sustainability, we have to figure out ways to improve our waters for the good of all of us. That’s the Clean Ocean Project.”
Microplastics Filters
One innovation from the Clean Ocean Project is Suzuki’s microplastic collecting device, which is integrated into some 4-stroke outboards. Launched in 2020, it was initally to be an option, but the feature has been standard equipment since 2022 on Suzuki’s 115- and 140-hp engines. Today, thousands of Suzuki outboards around the globe are helping remove harmful microplastics from aquatic ecosystems just by being used, cleaned and reused.
The filtering device is attached as a component of the engine’s cooling system. Seawater passes through a custom filter to trap microscopic debris such as nylon, urethane and wood fibers before they reach the engine. After cooling the engine, the filtered water is expelled. The system includes a built-in bypass to prevent clogs or overheating.
Engine owners are encouraged to clean the filter as part of routine maintenance. While microplastics are most often not visible, the amount collected can be surprising. The impact of these devices being used worldwide is significant.
“We negotiated with Suzuki Motor Corporation not to charge more for the MPCD and to make it standard equipment,” Cerka says, “because if the consumer can add that sustainability function without paying more for it, then they’re going to be more apt to do that.”
Plastics and microplastics in oceans are a continuing threat to sea life. In May, researchers in the Pacific discovered that birds about 360 miles off Australia’s east coast had so much plastic in their stomachs, they crunched when they were squeezed. One dead bird had 778 plastic pieces in its stomach. Studies have linked microplastics in humans with increased rates of cancer, and reproductive and other ailments.
Suzuki’s device can be added to existing outboards. Cerka says the company hopes to expand the use of the device in more of its products.
“Our goal is to have the MPCD standard on more engines,” he says. “We feel like if we get it on more engines, more people will know about it.”
Reducing Plastics, Cleaning Shores
The Clean Ocean Project also includes a commitment to reduce the use of plastics and overall waste in the production, packaging and shipping of engines and parts worldwide. With the use of sustainable bamboo packing straps to biomass-sourced polymers and botanical inks, Suzuki Marine has eliminated tons of plastic waste each year.
“To date, it’s about 4.2 million tons of plastic that we’ve cut out of Suzuki in general, for packaging engines and parts,” Cerka says. “And we have all the subsidiaries, all the distributors following these sustainability measures. If you are a Suzuki partner, owned by us or not, you still follow the Suzuki rules and regulations of sustainability.”
The initiatives filter down into everyday life at Suzuki’s Tampa, Fla., headquarters. Recycling bins, biodegradable materials and recyclable coffee pods are the standard. Plastic water bottles are no longer allowed. Instead, Suzuki supplies water in paper cartons and distributes it to events and beach cleanups, another global effort of the Clean Ocean Project.
Since 2010, Suzuki has organized beach, lake and harbor cleanup events worldwide involving employees, dealers and volunteers in a “Clean Up the World” campaign. These efforts have included promotional tie-ins with professional sports, including campaigns with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Attendees receive free show passes and branded gear in exchange for filling buckets with trash — much of which could have broken down into harmful microplastics.
Suzuki also organizes shore cleanups at freshwater locations, such as this one at the 2025 Redcrest Tournament on Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, Ala. PHOTO COURTESY SUZUKI MARINE
During a recent Tampa cleanup, hundreds of volunteers teamed up to clean streets, beaches and underwater. By the end of the event, more than 624 pounds of trash had been collected for proper disposal, recycling or reuse.
“Much of the plastic trash left on land eventually makes its way into the water through storm drain systems, where it breaks down over the years to become microplastic pollution,” Cerka says. “We try to do four beach cleanups a year in Florida from a corporate side, and there are many, many more across the country and the world.”
Suzuki has since extended the Clean Ocean Project to artistic and cultural collaborations. In partnership with ocean plastics activist Addy White, the company is turning beach-collected debris into wearable art and public-awareness tools. Suzuki has also named brand ambassadors to champion sustainability and educate boaters about their role in protecting marine environments.
Sustainable Fuels
Another major component of the Clean Ocean Project is support for sustainable marine fuels. The National Marine Manufacturers Association has worked alongside industry partners such as Suzuki Marine for 20 years to decarbonize the American boating industry. In 2023, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations launched the Propelling Our Future initiative. Its goal is to raise awareness of a variety of solutions needed for the future of marine recreation.
For the 2023 American Boating Congress in Washington, D.C., Suzuki sponsored the running of a 26-foot Sea Pro center console powered by twin DF140 outboards up the coast from Jacksonville, Fla., fueled exclusively by EcoGen90 sustainable marine fuel from VP Racing. The trip — dubbed the Suzuki Marine EcoFuel Run to the Capitol — covered more than 940 miles. In Washington, D.C., the boat was used for in-water demonstrations with government decision-makers.
“We undertook this voyage in support of NMMA’s initiative to educate and inform the industry, policy-makers and the boating public about alternative marine fuels,” George “Gus” Blakely, Suzuki Marine USA executive vice president of sales and service, said at the event. “There are roughly 12 million gasoline-powered boats across America today, so these new fuels offer a real opportunity for boaters and the boating industry to make an impact and lessen our environmental footprint.”
The Sea Pro was piloted for the entire run by Nick Abraham and Matt Dugas — both Suzuki Marine endurance test captains based at the company’s U.S. Technical Center in Panama City, Fla. They were
accompanied on different legs of the voyage by media and Suzuki executives, including Cerka. Suzuki Marine dealers along the route were sent the ecofuel in advance.
The boat logged 941.5 miles while burning 479 gallons of EcoGen90 — just under 2 mpg. The engines’ microplastics filters were cleaned along the passage, with the bits of collected pollution sent to Suzuki in Japan for analysis.
Suzuki Marine continues to work in partnership with NMMA leadership and the fuel industry to make cleaner, sustainable fuels available to all boaters. Last July, in partnership with NMMA, Suzuki helped facilitate the first delivery of sustainable fuel to St. Andrews Marina in Panama City. That event, backed by lawmakers, media and local officials, drew national attention. A newly branded dockside fuel pump was opened for business, marking the first time the sustainable marine fuel was available for sale outside of Texas.
“These fuels provide better performance, they’re better for the boats, [have] no
ethanol issues, and are better for the environment,” Cerka says. “And the fuels have no vapor separation, so if you don’t use your boat for a while, the fuel’s not going to go bad. It’s a win all around.”
The key, Cerka adds, lies in making these fuels more accessible at marinas and fuel docks. Suzuki’s tech center in Panama City uses only sustainable fuels in its engines.
Jeff Wasil, vice president of environmental compliance and marine technology at NMMA, told Soundings Trade Only that since the pilot program in Panama City began last year, there has been significant expansion of this fuel, particularly in Missouri and Arkansas, with 19 stations offering it. “Murphy USA is now offering a premium ethanol-free, 93-octane fuel at the pump, which is available at the rack,” Wasil says. “Sales have tripled, and the product is performing really well. It’s actually outselling the 91 octane fuels that were previously offered.”
These fuels, he adds, are critical for the long-term certainty of recreational boating: “It’s very important that the United States lead the development of liquid maritime fuels for national security and economic prosperity. We are actively leading discussions and working alongside the U.S. Department of Energy to ensure government officials understand the importance of maritime fuel development, which includes recreational boats.”
The recent passage in Florida of the Boater Freedom Act, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in mid-May, protects fuel-powered boats from being banned by local ordinances. That law may encourage use of sustainable fuels. “When we did the sustainability run up to the Capitol, that was really right in the middle when everybody was talking about electrification,” Cerka says. “We said, ‘Look, we don’t have an issue with electrification, but there are certain problems. You have to have so many batteries to compensate for the use of fuel, and then there’s the cost of electric engines. You have to have charging stations, and the infrastructure is not there, not yet at least. Oh, and by the way, the sustainable fuel is the same price as 93 octane anyway.’ ”
Switching to these fuels, he adds, is something boaters can do now.
4-4-2 Engine Exchange
Suzuki’s 4-4-2 Program, launched in 2024, incentivizes boaters to swap out aging 2-stroke outboards for more-efficient 4-strokes. The swap not only improves air and water quality, but also raises funds for local conservation nonprofits. “My goal in the first year was to do 442 engines,” Cerka says. “I did that in three months. We started the program in May, and by June, I had over 700 turned.”
Cerka says he has seen a lot of younger people come into dealerships with inherited, broken-down 2-stroke engines, and they like the idea of a more eco-friendly four-stroke. “We can get the boaters all day long, but how do we get the people who are non-boaters to become boaters?” Cerka says. “And this is one promotion that is making that happen.”
The Ripple Effect
Suzuki is also working alongside boatbuilders, dealers, tournament organizers and marinas to get others involved in its mission. The company’s presence at boat shows and trade events serves as a marketing tool and a rallying point for sustainability.
Suzuki is also exploring the expansion of partnerships with local governments and environmental, grassroots organizations. Additional sustainable fuel rollouts are planned for marinas in other states. With every outboard sold, gallon of clean fuel delivered or plastic bag removed from a shoreline, Suzuki is working to change the culture of boating for a more sustainable future.
