Plastic Beach: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, and Into the Ocean
Hawaii, the Big Island
May 22, 2020
Have you ever considered what really happens when you throw something away? What happens beyond the trash can?
The Realization
Most of the materials we’ve used throughout our entire lives are, in fact, choking our planet. While we do our best to recycle, the grim reality is a lot of our trash and recyclables end up in the ocean.
Ugh, contributing to pollution is my worst nightmare. Learning this truth knocked me down. I was angry more than I was hopeful, and I had more stress than peace.
I had to do something. Anything.
I decided to go see the plastic pollution for myself and help clean it up on the Big Island of Hawaii.
In January 2018, I emailed Hawaii Wildlife Fund (HWF), got on their list for a beach clean-up in March, and booked my flight.
Throughout the entire month of February, I learned about zero waste and practiced it religiously. I must say, it was difficult. There’s nothing easy about changing your life in an about-face, but I soldiered on.
It’s safe to say I’m the type of person who will overhaul my life when I learn something is harmful to the natural world. Could you imagine if the whole world adopted this mentality? That’s the dream.
On the first day of March, I hit the skies.
Having one free day between arriving and cleaning up, Green Sand Beach was the first stop.
All-in-all it was a nice day. The hike was long, the sun was hot, and the views were breathtaking.
At the start of the hike, I saw plastic on the beach just past the parking area and got angry. Littering really bothers me, so I picked it up and kept going.
Yet, as the hike went on, I noticed the plastic had become more concentrated…and more diverse. It was just enough to make you cringe. There were actual toys on the shoreline.
Then it hit me.
This wasn’t litter from hikers…this was a peek into what I’d traveled here to see, a preview of the effects of consumerism at its worst. This was the effect of a broken recycling and waste management system.
And I thought this was bad…it turns out, nothing could prepare me for the disaster waiting at Kamilo Point.
The Cleanup Crew
We all met at Waiohinu Park. I was shocked and encouraged to see just how many locals had volunteered that day. This is, after all, their home.
We formed a large circle and introduced ourselves. I believe there were only 2 or 3 other small groups from out of state, including a media group from Japan.
Everyone got motivated, loaded into 4WDs, and headed out.
Through the breezy plains and curly trees, the caravan crawled over hardened lava fields to one of the most polluted beaches in the world…Kamilo Point.
We finally arrived at the place I’d read about for months.
Kamilo Point
When we first pulled up to the beach, I thought, “Okay, this is manageable.” That is until I did a double take. What I thought to be sand was actually plastic.
Microplastics were everywhere.
Microplastics are just that - micro bits of plastic broken off of larger pieces.
I spent what felt like a lifetime sitting on my sunburned legs, sifting through microplastics. I pulled out pieces that belonged to the beach, as it was way faster than pulling plastic out of the sand. There was just too much.
It was tough and tedious work. Never-ending. I hauled off a decent-sized tub, yet it felt like I didn’t even make a dent.
Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions.
I left my microplastic bubble to walk around. It was incredible to see how much the team had accomplished already. We’d covered so much ground.
Then I rounded the corner…
I’d never seen anything like this before, not even in pictures. Or maybe I had seen it online, but experiencing it in person is indescribable.
Sitting on a bed of microplastics, large plastic items filled the shoreline and were nestled up into the trees.
Things like:
Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes
Plastic forks and spoons
Bottles and an endless amount of bottle caps
Hangers and ropes
Bins, tubs, and mesh trays
Combs and hair brushes
Buttons, lids, and springs
Hoses and spray nozzles
Toys and baby bottles
Razor handles and toilet brushes
Shotgun shells (yes, really)
I could keep going. I even found a car seat…
Everything had little chunks of plastic missing and small bite marks from where fish had nibbled on the debris. Plastic-filled seafood, anyone?
Look closely at the following photos - how many common household objects can you identify?
I turned toward the ocean and choked back tears as I gazed upon the giant mound of ghost nets. Like mountains on the horizon, it got bigger and bigger as I approached.
40,000 lbs of ghost nets sitting on the rocks.
There’s no telling what this pile of abandoned fishing gear captured on its journey to Kamilo Point.
This isn’t manageable.
The plastic problem is a catastrophe.
Do you see that plastic hanger stuck in this mass of ghost nets? We did that.
You.
Me.
All of us.
And we didn’t mean to. We bought into the idea that convenience culture = happiness. Companies told us we can have whatever we wanted but never disclosed the true cost.
Once we clean it up, more will take its place. More locals and visitors will come out to clean, and the vicious cycle continues forever. We must end this by demanding action from governments and corporations, adjusting our personal behaviors, and standing up for sustainable solutions. Until we do, our planet (and everything on it) will continue to suffer.
Out of sight, out of mind…and into the ocean.
The Stats
Together, our team removed over a ton (2,000 lbs) of marine debris.
Stats from Hawaii Wildlife Fund:
Kamilo Point, Wai'ōhinu, Ka'ū
46 people (including 5 keiki and ~8 'ōpio)
0.6 miles
180 bags of debris
7 truckloads
2,690 lbs of marine debris recovered and hauled away
~300 lbs of nets
photo: M. Lamson / Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund
Sustainable Solutions
There’s no way we can continue living this way, consuming this way. It’s up to each of us to drive change.
We vote with our dollar.
We spark change with our voices.
Tell retailers and brands to take responsibility for packaging materials, disposal, and reuse. Corporations have the capital and scale to drive the urgent change we so desperately need, but they need to hear from us.
Tweet at them. Comment on their posts. Social media can and should be used for good, so let’s use it that way.
Learn More: The Oceans’ Health Problems & What You Can Do
Wrapping Up
This journey has been my favorite and most difficult.
It’s a lot.
Constant knowledge and consistent growth are a lot. Staying positive, strong, bold, and committed to this mission is a lot.
But together, we can create a healthier environment by teaching others what we know.
My ask is that you keep learning with me.
At the end of the day, it’s the small incremental adjustments to our daily life that add up to make a huge impact.
We’re in this together.
// Kate
