On January 15, 2024, over 200+ participants gathered to clean the Kahuku Coastline on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service! Collectively, we recovered over 525 pounds of marine debris near the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, an ecological habitat for native birds. All of the participants’ effort assisted in protecting species like the Laysan Albatross, Green Sea Turtles, and Hawaiian Monk Seals from consuming or getting entangled in marine debris. Mahalo to all of our volunteers and wonderful partners (Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, Patagonia, Parley, and Costa Sunglasses) for a successful beach cleanup! Mahalo to Brandon Davidson (@brandon_bld) for capturing beautiful photos of the event!
Beach cleanups are not the solution to plastic pollution, however they are an eye opening experience to see how immense this problem is and a great start to take PROactive action toward preventing debris from ending up in the ocean. Here are more plastic pollution solutions you can take:
- Create Artivism! See details about the Plastic Free Hawaiʻi School Mural Contest below!
- Support Refill Stores: The Kōkua General Store, located in Haleiwa, offers bulk refill options for household and low-waste lifestyle products.
- Support Slow Fashion: In the Kōkua General Store, there is Kōkua Vintage that offers pre-loved clothing that encourages the reuse cycle!
Practice the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle): KHF’s 3Rs School Program hosts recycling drives across Oʻahu that accept electronics, paper for shredding, HI-5s, scrap metal, household goods, and more! See 3R’s School Recycling Drive segment for more information!