CLEANUP

To help solve the ocean's garbage problem, we appeal to the public in the spring and fall to take part in coastal cleanup activities.
In the fall, we also participate in the worldwide International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Please join us!

Let's pick up lots of garbage!

Spring Campaign (April - June)

Objective > Garbage collection
The garbage has to be picked up somewhere; otherwise it will continue to be carried away by wind and waves to other places.
In helping with the spirit of the Earth Day (4/22) and the World Environment Day (6/5), let's pick up the garbage scattered around our neighborhoods.

Let's find solutions!

Fall Campaign (September - October)

Objective > Study of garbage
The problem of garbage cannot be solved just by collection. It is important for everyone to understand what the contents of garbage are and find ways to solve the problem.
To this end, JEAN has been promoting the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), which is a cleanup activity that collects and studies garbage. It has been gathering data on garbage picked up from coastal areas since 1990.
Let's take a closer look at the garbage found in coastal areas and in waters.
The findings are reported to Ocean Conservancy, an ocean conservation group in the United States, to be utilized for its global initiatives.

How to participate :

• In a day event at a neighborhood site_List of venues (Note: in Japanese only) >>See details here
• To become a "captain" (to be in charge of an event) organizing and implementing a cleanup event

Please contact the JEAN office below.

Contact > JEAN Office.
TEL 042-322-0712 (Wednesday and Friday 10:00a.m.-6:00p.m.)
FAX 042-324-8252
E-mail cleanup@jean.jp

What is International Coastal Cleanup?

It is an activity proposed by the environmental NGO"Ocean Conservancy" in the United States. It is an activity to get together in picking up garbage in coastal areas and in waters around the world, and to gather information on the garbage collected.

What's unique about the cleanup?

• It uses the same standardized method worldwide to gather data on garbage during the cleanup.
  The pieces of garbage are counted by type to find out which type accounts for the most.
  The data are disclosed to the public to raise awareness for the problem.
  (Findings of studies conducted so far show that more than half of the garbage in the sea comes from the land.)
• It carries out cleanup simultaneously all over the world.
  Garbage is carried by wind and waves in the sea, and is brought to faraway places by the tides. (Garbage from Japan travels to Hawaii and Midway while garbage from Russia, China, and Korea reaches the coast of Japan.)
  Since oceans are all connected, it is necessary to carry out the cleanup simultaneously all over the world to obtain a global trend.
• It utilizes the data collected.
  Garbage is everywhere no matter how much we collect. The best way to put an end to cleanup is to reduce garbage ourselves.
  From the study results, we can find out which type of garbage each community generates the most. Let's start a dialogue with neighbors on which garbage to reduce.

• JEAN has participated in the cleanup activity since 1990. It has become the organization spearheading the effort in Japan.
• Cleanup sites refer to waterfront (coastal areas, riverbank, lakefront, and edge of ponds) and waters (oceans, rivers, and lakes) where studies on garbage were carried out between September and October using a standardized method.
• Ocean Conservancy >>