Over the weekend, Greenpeace traveled to Kahoolawe with the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana and Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission for a beach cleanup and brand audit to help identify the corporations most responsible for single-use plastic pollution in the region. Greenpeace Ocean Director John Hocevar stands near plastic trash piles.
The crew brought back an estimated 2.5 tons of debris, most of which will be donated to Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii for repurposing into consumer goods, said Greenpeace, or disposed in accordance with county waste regulations.
Kao Corporation, Coca-Cola, and Nestlé topped the list of brands found on beverage containers, bottle caps, toothbrushes, soap and shampoo bottles, and household cleaning product packaging cleaned from the isle. Greenpeace's Davey Khoury cleans up the beach.
Unilever, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Johnson & Johnson were also found among the marine debris at Kahoolawe. Yordan Georgiev, MY Arctic Sunrise radio officer, helps to collect trash on the beach.
The majority of plastic found there, however, was in the form of tiny microplastics that could not be easily cleaned up. The crew also found a significant amount of discarded commercial fishing gear, including crates, buoys, fish traps, and nets.
While commercial uses are prohibited on Kahoolawe, plastic packaging from corporations still reaches its shores.
As part of its awareness campaign, Greenpeace is demanding the world’s largest corporations take responsibility for plastic pollution by producing less, or finding alternative delivery systems.
Greenpeace said some companies, like Aramark and Sodexo, have begun taking steps toward reducing single-use plastics.
Pablo Accattoli and Diego Velasquez make their way back to the MY Arctic Sunrise as clean up operations wrap up on day two.
Rebecca Mattos with some of the plastic trash on the helideck of the MY Arctic Sunrise.
Crews pack up bags of trash to return it to the MY Arctic Sunrise for disposal.
The Arctic Sunrise will be in Hawaii through the end of the month, and is open for free, public tours at Pier 12 (79 S. Nimitz Highway), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Harmony Lambert, Ka'apuni Aiwohi, Andre Perez, Jason Sanada and Rebecca Mattos dig out a kayak that was buried in sand on the shore.
Rebecca Mattos, Jason Sanada, Andre Perez, Harmony Lambert and Ka'apuni Aiwohi, stand with the kayak they dug out of the sand on the shore.
Crews pack up bags of trash to return it to the MY Arctic Sunrise for disposal.
John Hocevar, left, and Rebecca Mattos bring plastic debris to a collection point on the beach where it is packed up for transport to the MY Arctic Sunrise for disposal.
Abandoned fishing nets get caught on old railroad ties on the beach. They are visible when the tide goes out.
Rebecca Mattos brings plastic debris to a collection point on the beach where it is packed up for transport to the MY Arctic Sunrise for disposal.
Fishing gear and microplastics mixed together on the beach.
Crews pack up bags of trash to return it to the MY Arctic Sunrise for disposal.
Greenpeace's Ryan Schleeter, left, and Kate Melges sort and audit plastic trash on the beach before it is sent to the MY Arctic Sunrise.
Fishing gear and microplastics mixed together on the beach.
The PKO team bids farewell to the island and the Greenpeace MY Arctic Sunrise crew after the second day of clean up. In the RHIB from left are Pearl Wu, Lopaka Aiwohi, Ka'apuni Aiwohi and Jason Sanada.
Abandoned fishing nets get caught on old railroad ties on the beach. They are visible when the tide goes out.
Some of the second day beach clean up crew: Pictured standing from left: Yordan Georgiev, Ryan Schleeter, Lisa Ramsden, Davey Khoury, Lopaka Aiwohi, Kate Melges, Eric Brungade, Hannah Strange, Rebecca Mattos, Pearl Wu, Katie Flynn-Jambeck, and Cody Nemet. Kneeling from left: Harmony Lambert; Jason Sanada, Ka'apuni Aiwohi.
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