Jacob "Jake" Cherry

Jacob "Jake" Cherry is the founder and president of Recycle4BeachCleanUps. He has worked in the recycling industry for over 30 years and has owned and operated several innovative and award-winning corporate recycling businesses throughout his career.

This project is personal. From 2019 to 2024, Jake took a five-year sabbatical and lived on Koh Phangan, a beach community in southern Thailand. He had always loved cleaning beaches, but living directly on the shoreline turned that habit into a deeper commitment.

Each morning, Jake would walk onto the beach and find plastic and waste that had washed ashore. He began his day by cleaning as much of the beach as he could. By the end of each cleanup, he would leave a space large enough for tourists, locals, and the surrounding community to enjoy.

He noticed that people naturally gathered on the cleaned parts of the beach. The work helped the ocean and the shoreline, but it also helped the community. Sometimes people walking by would thank him for his service, and it was especially meaningful when local residents did.

Eventually, a beach dog Jake lovingly called Bear started joining him on the cleanups. Jake kept a few hot dogs in his pocket, and Bear kept him company. It was on that beach that the Recycle4BeachCleanUps concept began to take shape.

When Jake returned to the United States in 2024, he began building the business. He has continued cleaning beaches every day, carrying forward the same idea that began on Koh Phangan: cleaner beaches create healthier ecosystems, stronger communities, and spaces people want to share.