Organization working to solve marine plastic problem
It is an organization originating from Japan that started its activities in 2020 to solve the marine litter problem.
Its abbreviated name is COE.
Marine debris pollution is progressing due to an increase in the number of plastic products and the oceanic discharge of garbage that has not been properly disposed of.
As of 2018, it is estimated that 150 million tons of ocean plastic litter exists in the world, with more than 8 million tons (about the weight of the total population of Japan) being discharged every year.
Due to its semi-permanent non-degradable nature, plastic becomes finer under the influence of ultraviolet light and waves, but continues to drift in the ocean as plastic (the microplastic problem).
Marine plastics are causing serious economic losses (damage to fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and ships), biodiversity destruction (over 700 species affected), and health damage (food chain contamination).
As of 2020, total annual global plastic production was 367 million tons, and it is estimated to double by 2040. Since approximately 80% of marine debris is discharged from land via rivers and waterways, we must reduce unnecessary plastic use and increase the amount of waste that is properly disposed of on land.
New laws and international rules are also needed that are not at the level of one municipality or one country, as once the waste is discharged into the ocean, the responsibility for disposal becomes ambiguous.
To solve this problem, we need to reaffirm our respective roles across sectors and national borders, and simultaneously take practical and concrete steps to reduce new marine debris discharges and increase the amount of marine debris collected from those already in existence.
Depending on the location, marine debris can be classified into three categories: beach litter, drifted litter, and marine sediment litter.
While human-accessible beaches can be collected through beach cleanups, more than 75% of marine debris is left at sea or on the ocean floor.
Our goal is to build a system that can sustainably collect more than 75% of marine debris that has been left unattended and unattended until now.
We are continuing to develop technologies that enable efficient collection of marine debris with minimal environmental impact, and to build a sustainable business model to support these technologies.
The logo carries the message, “From marine debris collection to leaving a clean ocean for the next generation as an ensemble (with many people).
The first point of focus for the future is the “continuation of activities. Our goal is not to hold temporary events, but to continue to grow our marine litter collection activities and educational activities.
The second is “expansion of activity areas. We aim to establish a system that will enable us to expand our activities throughout Japan and around the world by 2030. We will work together with fishermen, companies, environmental organizations, and research institutes in each region to confront this issue.
Third is “collaboration with other fields and industries. We believe that in order to solve the marine litter problem, it is necessary to change the social structure. To achieve this, it is important to work together and collaborate across the boundaries of fields, industries, and national borders. The marine litter problem cannot be solved by one individual or one company. The cost for a single company to participate in the marine litter problem is significant, but we believe that the cost per company can be lowered by increasing the number of participating companies. With the cause of solving the marine litter problem, we will continue to take on practical challenges, working hand in hand with partners who can innovate in terms of mechanism creation and technology, and create benefits such as brand image enhancement, investment amount enhancement, and sales enhancement for participating companies from the perspective of the SDGs and CSR.
We contribute to solving the marine debris problem through our projects “Marine waste” and “Environmental education”.
Once spilled, marine plastic waste,
Once spilled, marine plastic litter cannot be decomposed semi-permanently and must be collected.
In order to solve the marine debris problem
Increase the amount of plastic collected at beach cleanups,
Developing methods to collect marine debris in places where it has been left unattended (under cliffs and on the ocean floor),
Increase the amount of recovered marine debris for reuse,
Reduce the discharge of new marine debris,
We believe it is important to continue these efforts in a sustainable manner.
In this context, we are focusing on the development of technologies to recover marine debris that has been left unattended,
With this challenge at the core, we are trying to increase collaboration and create a community that transcends the boundaries of disciplines.
The marine litter problem cannot be solved by the current economic system,
We need to build a new sustainable business model and change the entire social structure.
We need more people to feel the marine debris problem as their own,
We want to change the future prediction that the amount of marine debris will increase more than that of fish.
Clean Ocean Ensemble’s activities require your support, cooperation, and donations.
Please support us so that we can leave a clean ocean for future generations.
NGO Clean Ocean Ensemble
CEO
Yuki EGAWA
To realizelong-term and sustainable use of marine resources,
develop innovative recovery technologies and establish business models,
to develop innovative recovery technologies, establish business models, and create a sustainable recovery system to reduce marine debris.
