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Save The Sea Turtles International
DBA Adopt A Beach Hawaii
‘Conservation Through Preservation and Education”
15-Year Report for Top 33 Trash Debris Items
1999-2014
Save The Sea Turtles International
DBA Adopt A Beach Hawaii
66-437 Kamehameha Highway
Suite 940
Haleiwa, Hawaii, 96712
(808)637-2211
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Adopt a Beach Hawaii and Save the Sea Turtles International has conducted a 15-year study of the Top 33 Debris items collected from North Shore and South Shore Beaches for the island of O’ahu for the last 15 years.
We would like to thank
The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy, Keep America Beautiful, Keep the Hawaiian Islands Beautiful, The EPA(Environmental Protection Agency,)
UH Mānoa, the
State of Hawaii Parks and Recreations divisionand Nani O Wai’anaefor the support to continue our study.
The Top 33 Debris Items are from the Coastal Cleanup data sheets provided by Ocean Conservancy and the Environmental Protection Agency. However, over the years we began to see other debris items that washed up on our shores with regularity, and we added some of those items to our list. Below are the top 33 items we regularly collect:
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These are the Top 33 items from 1999-2014:
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Items listed Prior to 2009:
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Bags (Paper)
Bags (Plastic)
Balloons
Beverage Bottles (Plastic)
Beverage Bottles (Glass)
Beverage Cans
Caps/Lids to Bottles
Clothing/Shoes
Plates, Cups, Silverware
Food Wrapper, Containers
Pull Tabs/Six pack holders
Straws/Stirrers
Toys
Bait Containers
Bleach/Cleaner Bottles
Floats/Buoys
Small Pieces of Plastic/Microplastic
Fishing Line
Fishing Lures/Light sticks
Fishing Nets/Traps
Light Bulbs/Tubes
Oil/Lube Containers
Pallets
Plastic Sheeting/Tarps
Rope/Strapping Bands
Styrofoam
Cigarette/Filters
Cigar Tips
Lighters
Tobacco Packaging
Appliances
Building Materials
Tires
Batteries
Car/ Car Parts
Bags of Broken Glass
Condoms
Syringes/Drugs/Paraphernalia
Diapers
Tampons and applicators
Surfboard Pieces
Road Reflectors
Surf Wax/Wrappers
Band-Aids
Animal Feces
Cruise line Logos
Shotgun Shell/Wadding
55-Gallon Drums.
Ship Netting for Cargo
We also have cleaned up
Miscellaneous items such as:
Coolers
A Bowling Ball
Bicycle Parts
Car Axles
Mattresses
Homeless Campsite trash (vary and sundry items)
Sunglasses
Sunscreen Containers
Styrofoam
Gloves
Paper /Foil
A Boston Whaler (Broken and buried at Kaiaka Beach.)
Ship Netting for Cargo.
Styrofoam
Fireworks
Here are the Top Ten Trash items
For the last 15 Years:
1. Small Pieces of Plastic / 1,031,6222. Cigarettes / 325,422
3. Food Wrappers / 48,541
4. Caps/Lids to Containers / 55,126
5. Bags Plastic / 23,812
6. Plates, Cups. Silverware / 26,902
7. Beverage (Glass) / 20,967
8. Beverage (Plastic) / 14,241
9. Beverage Cans / 12,648
10. Straws/Stirrers / 8,603
One observation about the trash collected is that we have noticed a pattern of where on the island certain trash is to be found. For example, some beaches are known particularly for fishing activities or surfing, so we would expect to find certain trash items at those beaches. However, the overall trash that is found at all Beaches, regardless of location are the small pieces of plastic and Micro-Plastic. We know now that these contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as we are in the
Current patterns that drift our trash to that particular part of the ocean. (See
Honolulu Star Bulletin Article, 12/15/14 Pg. 5) (B3)
Another observation made during the 15-year study was that we are able to map the area of the island where the trash is found, as we stated earlier, and we have also been able to draw conclusions about the demographics of O’ahu.
For example, you rarely find a glass beverage container at Kailua or Lanikai Beaches as those areas have an active community and high property taxes, therefore they have the
resources to enforce littering
and recycling policies for their town
and beaches.
In Wai’anae, and the North Shore of O’ahu, we do not see the same scenario. Wai’anae does not have the high property taxes and strong community support to assist with gross polluters or litterers. On the North Shore, we do see higher property taxes, and some commitment to community action against littering, but not as actively as Kailua Town.
If there was a greater effort by communities who have severe trash problems, and greater effort by the police, DLNR, or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce the littering and gross polluter laws, we would expect to see a reduction in certain types of trash on O’ahu beaches in those areas affected.
Adopt a Beach Hawaii has been the only consistent Non Profit Beach Cleanup holding monthly cleanups for the last 15 years. We actively encourage people to adopt a beach in the area of O’ahu they live in, data cards are available online at us your monthly data of debris items collected. This program has had success in many parts of O’ahu Beaches that have not been traditionally litter free. All information /data is going to City and County of Hawai’i, The State of Hawai’i, Ocean Conservancy, The Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA, Nature Conservancy, Adopt A Highway, and Keep America Beautiful/Keep Hawaiian Islands Beautiful.
At our monthly Cleanups we always gave a lecture on recycling and beach clean ups, as well as giving volunteers educational handouts about how the Volunteers who attend the Monthly Cleanups can educate others to help keep our beaches and oceans trash free. We have had a new trend of volunteers, primarily the Military and School groups. They have traditionally beenactive participants in the clean ups, but as they observed the pallets burned for firewood, and the burned nails left behind, they have become quite proactive in cleaning beaches that are used for bonfire activity.
Another item that has become one of our top items of debris is cigarette butts. With a new trend by Car rental agencies to not provide ashtrays in their newer vehicles, smokers throw the butts out the window.
We have done Adopt a Highway for many years, from the signal light at the bypassin Haleiwa to the North Shore just beyond Chun’s Reef. Cigarette butts are one of our primary debris items collected from the side of the highway.
Another issue which appeared in late 2011-early 2012 was Tsunami Debris from the
Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami 3/11/11.
We started to see larger pieces of debris such as pieces of boats, coolers, parts of piers, as well as plastics and micro plastics.
The issue was we were unable to touch any of that debris due to radioactivity from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant
failure. As we continued to clean the beaches around O’ahu for the next few years, the question was always “is this trash radioactive?” and as we had no Geiger counter, the supposition was yes, probably, but we continued the cleanups anyway.
Finally, our greatest challenge, and the number one debris item are plastic and micro plastic. We harvested 280,000 tons of plastic and micro-plastic from O’ahu beaches from 1999-2014. This is the most challenging of debris items to gather, as it often entails sitting on a patch of beach and using a sieve to sift the micro-plastic out of the sand.
As Kara Lavendar Law of the Sea Education Association from Woods Hole, MA states:
“AmIbeingpoisonedbyeatingthefishonmyplate?"sheasked."Wehaveverylittleknowledgeofthechainofeventsthatcouldleadtothat.Butit'saplausiblescenariothatplasticingestedatlowerlevelsofthefoodwebcouldhaveconsequencesathigherlevelsofthefoodchain."
We know that the micro-plastic hangs with Krill in the ocean, which are then eaten by small fish, who in turn are eaten
By large fish, which we catch to eat, and by eating the fish we are ingesting plastic as well. We do know today that the long-termeffects of ingesting plastic have serious health consequences. By cleaning the plastic and micro-plastic from our beaches we can help reduce the micro-plastic in the ocean, and help alleviate the problem from our own food chain.
We are taking Adopt A Beach Hawaii Cleanups online in 2015, creating a program where anyone, globally, can go to our website, learn how to adopt a beach in the part of the globe they live, have their community take charge of the debris items in their community, and then send the data to us @. We will be able to show people globally how
And what type of debris they are collecting in their community!
Our Mission statement is ‘Conservation
Through Preservation and Education”
Our goal is to help communities globally to put this mission statement into action within their own community!
Aloha, Mahalo and Malama Pono,
Marlu West
Director of Save the Sea Turtles International DBA Adopt a Beach Hawaii
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Honolulu Star Advertiser:
Study:270,000tonsofplasticfloatinginoceans
ByAssociatedPress
POSTED:01:50p.m.HST,Dec10,2014
LASTUPDATED:05:04p.m.HST,Dec10,2014
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(Plastic and debris floating in the Ala Wai Canal)
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Anewstudyestimatesnearly270,000tonsofplasticisfloating in the world's oceans.
That's enough to fillmorethan38,500garbagetrucks.
Theplasticisbrokenupintomorethan5trillionpieces,saidthestudypublishedWednesdayinthe scientificjournalPLUSONE.
DennisOda: “A pileofgarbage,including plasticbottles,foamtraysandpaper,lingeredintheAlaWaiCanalforallofyesterday.
Officialsarenotsurewhythetrashjustsatthere.”
Thepaperisthelatestinanascentfieldwherescientistsaretryingtobetterunderstandhowmuchofthesyntheticmaterialisenteringtheoceansand
howit'saffectingfish,seabirdsandthelargermarineecosystem.
Thestudy'sleadauthorisMarkusEriksenofthe5GyresInstitute,anorganizationthataimstoreduceplasticintheoceans.
Togatherdata,researchersdraggedafinemeshnetattheseasurfacetogather
smallpieces.Observersonboatscountedlargeritems.
Honolulu Star Advertiser:
“Study:270,000tonsofplasticfloatinginoceans” cont.
Theyusedcomputermodelstocalculate estimatesfor tracts of ocean notsurveyed.
Thestudyonlymeasuredplasticfloatingatthesurface.Plasticontheoceanfloorwasn'tincluded.
Bitsgreaterthanabout8inchesaccountedforthree-quartersoftheplasticthattheresearchestimatedisintheocean.
KaraLavenderLawoftheSeaEducationAssociationinWoodsHole,Massachusetts,whowasn'tinvolvedinthestudy,saidtheresearchersgathered
Datainareaswherescientists currentlydon'thavemeasurementsforfloatingplasticdebris,includingtheIndianOcean,the SouthernOceannearAntarcticaandtheSouthAtlantic.
“Inaddition,thestudy'sestimatefortinyplasticbitslessthanone-fifthofaninch--about35,540Tons--iscomparabletoanearlierstudybyresearchersinSpainwhouseddifferentmethodology,”Lawsaid.Thatstudyestimatedtherewas7,000to35,000tonsofplasticsthis sizefloatingintheocean.
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“It'sencouragingthattwodifferentapproachescameupwithsuchsimilaranswers,givenhowdifficultitistomeasureplasticintheocean,”shesaid.
Studyingtheamountofplasticintheoceanwillhelpscientistsunderstandhowthematerialwillaffecttheenvironmentandpotentiallythefoodchain.
“Forexample,”Lawsaid,“wemighteattunathathasingestedanotherfishthathaseatenplasticthathasinturneatenanotherfishwithplastic.Theseplasticscouldpotentiallyhavetoxicchemicals.”
"AmIbeingpoisonedbyeatingthefishonmyplate?"sheasked."Wehaveverylittleknowledgeofthechainofeventsthatcouldleadtothat.Butit'saplausiblescenariothatplasticingestedatlowerlevelsofthefoodwebcouldhaveconsequencesathigherlevelsofthefoodchain."
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Top 10 Trash Items for Years 1999-2014
Top 10 Items for 1999Items / Amounts
Cigarette / 3500
Caps/Lids / 2278
Food Wrappers, containers / 1875
Shotgun & Wadding / 1322
Bags (paper) / 730
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 432
Plates cups, Silverware / 378
Small pieces of plastic / 295
Straws/ Stirrers / 228
Beverage Cans / 187
Top 10 Items for 2000
Items / Amount
Small Pieces of Plastic / 2114
Cigarette/Filters / 1122
Rope/Strapping Bands / 719
Fishing nets/ traps / 426
Caps and lids / 297
Fishing line / 175
Plastic Bags / 169
Plastic Bottles / 168
Building materials / 136
Straws / 92
Top 10 Items for 2001
Item / Amount
Small Pieces of plastic / 1012218
Cigarettes / 2735
Rope/strapping bands / 887
Fishing Nets/Trap / 671
Building Materials / 590
Fishing Line / 573
Beverage Cans / 479
Bait Containers / 460
Plastic Bags / 355
Light Bulbs/Tubes / 354
Top 10 Items for 2002
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 3788
Foodland / 1406
Caps/Lids / 388
Food wrappers, Containers / 316
Plastic Bags / 220
Beverage cans / 200
Plates, Cup, Silverware / 144
Balloons / 124
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 96
Pallets / 72
Top 10 Items for 2003
Item / Amounts
Small pieces Of Plastic / 12743
Cigarette/Filters / 2260
Food wrappers, Containers / 724
Rope/ strapping Bands / 718
Building Materials / 623
Caps/ Lids to bottle / 542
Beverage Bottles (Plastic) / 496
Lightbulbs/Tubes / 495
Plastic Bags / 453
Beverage can / 392
Top 10 Items for 2004
Item / Amounts
Small pieces Of Plastic / 1667
Cigarette/Filters / 1620
Food wrappers, Containers / 790
Lightbulbs/Tubes / 674
Rope/ strapping Bands / 604
Beverage Bottles (Plastic) / 367
Styrofoam / 315
Plastic Bags / 260
Beverage Cans / 201
Fishing Lines / 167
Top 10 Items for 2005
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 39913
Caps/Lids to Bottles / 14253
Food wrappers, Containers / 10955
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 8285
Plates, Cups, silverware / 5379
Plastic Bags / 4650
Beverage bottles (Plastic) / 3824
Beverage Cans / 3518
Fishing Lines / 3456
Straws/ Stirrers / 2945
Top 10 Items for 2006
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 14212
Building Materials / 9963
Small Pieces of plastic / 7324
Cap/Lids to Bottles / 1622
Tires / 1306
Bags (paper) / 1090
Food Wrappers, Containers / 1087
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 892
Beverage Bottles (plastic) / 858
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 703
Top Ten Items for 2007
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 72254
Caps/Lids to Bottles / 21249
Food Wrappers, Containers / 16609
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 7354
Bags (plastic) / 6866
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 5008
Straws/Stirrers / 3175
Beverage Bottles (plastic) / 2965
Beverage Cans / 2932
Pull Tabs/ six Pack Holders / 2521
Top 10 Items for 2008
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 6020
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 1810
Food Wrappers, Containers / 1695
Rope/ Strapping Bands / 611
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 544
Beverage Cans / 286
Beverage Bottles (plastic) / 245
Plastic Bags / 237
Clothing, shoes / 216
Car Parts / 214
Top 10 Items for 2009
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 51275
Food Wrappers, Containers / 6499
Plastic Bags / 4991
Small pieces of Plastic / 4615
Caps/ Lids to Bottles / 3693
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 2545
Styrofoam / 1593
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 1546
Beverage Cans / 1286
Paper Bags / 997
Top 10 Items for 2010
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 23115
Caps/ Lids to Bottles / 1870
Food Wrappers, Containers / 1758
Plastic bags / 1616
Paper Bags / 1053
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 890
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 866
Small Pieces of Plastic / 624
Beverage Cans / 436
Straws/Stirrers / 419
Top 10 Items for 2011
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 34106
Small Pieces of Plastic / 2457
Food Wrappers, Containers / 2367
Caps/ Lids to Bottles / 2131
Balloons / 1866
Plastic Bags / 1409
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 1160
Beverage Bottles (plastic) / 600
Straws/Stirrers / 597
Beverage Cans / 525
Top 10 Items for 2012
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 28857
Caps/ Lids to Bottles / 2567
Small Pieces Of Plastic / 2533
Plastic Bags / 1492
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 1330
Paper Bags / 1157
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 991
Straws/Stirrers / 562
Beverage Bottles (Plastic) / 521
Clothing, Shoes / 525
Top 10 Items for 2013
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 27384
Small Pieces Of Plastic / 3155
Food Wrappers, Containers / 2259
Caps/ Lids To Bottles / 2236
Paper Bags / 1364
Plastic Bags / 1244
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 1040
Beverage bottles (Glass) / 864
Straws/ Stirrers / 585
Beverage Cans / 486
Top 10 Items for 2014
Item / Amounts
Cigarette/Filters / 13261
Rope/Strapping Bands / 3653
Caps/ Lids To Bottles / 2000
Small Pieces Of Plastic / 1944
Food Wrappers, Containers / 1607
Plastic Bags / 1259
Floats/Buoys / 822
Beverage Bottles (glass) / 813
Plates, Cups, Silverware / 805
Beverage Bottles (plastic) / 756
cc: Linda O’Brien
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