Toward Cleaner Beaches: Testing Removal Methods for Marine Debris on a Hiroshima Island

A ceremony was held at Harumi Rinkai Park in Ōtake before cleaning got started. Standing with raised hands are (from left) Kawahara Hidemasa of the Atatajima Fisheries Cooperative, Nippon Foundation Chairman Sasakawa Yōhei, Hiroshima Governor Yuzaki Hidehiko, and Ōtake Mayor Iriyama Yoshirō.

Some of those collecting debris dressed up for the occasion, their cosplay raising spirits among participants and drawing attention to the problem of marine waste.

The Nagaura coastline as seen from the boat. White floats lie all along the sands.

The large floats washed up on shore were once used to suspend marine farming rafts or to act as cushions between moored ships and wharfs.

Governor Yuzaki disembarks from the lander.

Mayor Iriyama (left, at front) prepares to receive a float from Chairman Sasakawa.

The floats were passed from hand to hand in a relay.

Its zippy speed, even on a sandy beach, meant this buggy could contribute greatly to the operation.

Two plastic compactors, specializing in polystyrene, were set up on truck platforms loaded on the landing craft, and reduced the hundreds of floats to a more a manageable size.

The floats after compacting. As the compactors do not use high temperatures, there are limited odors from melting. There is also no deterioration in the material quality, making the floats easy to recycle.

This all-terrain mini dumper transported small waste, which was separated from sand using wind and vibrating sorters.

Foreign trainees based locally and cosplayers took part in the cleaning activity, and there are hopes that it might encourage similar efforts elsewhere.