TRUE BLUE - 115th Voyage Participants join project to upcycle marine debris

People in Japan and all around the world are connected by the ocean, and their love for it and all it provides. As part of Peace Boat's ongoing efforts for ocean literacy and climate action, and marking Peace Boat's 40th anniversary in 2023, the "Ocean Upcycle Project" was launched by participants on the 115th Global Voyage. This is being held in collaboration with the social business "TRUE BLUE," together upcycling marine debris recovered in beach clean ups held in ports of call around the world into creative works and accessories. So far, 450 people have taken part, including both in beach clean ups in local ports, as well as onboard workshops and learning sessions.

Based in a workshop and store on Kouri Island in Okinawa, TRUE BLUE produces and sells artworks and household goods made from marine plastics, offering an upcycling experience that anyone can easily enjoy. In order to spread the wave of upcycling, the initiative conducts events, workshops and study tours in different locations, and profits from sales are used for activities to protect the ocean. The 115th Voyage was joined by two guest educators from TRUE BLUE, including the initiative's founder and well-known Japanese writer and traveller Takahashi Ayumu, as well as co-owner of the social business, Takeuchi Takayasu. As the ship sailed from Manzanillo to New York, Takeuchi gave lectures on the state of our oceans and the issue of marine plastics, as well as led workshops for participants to turn trash into treasure.

The project has become a transformative way for participants to become directly involved in action for creating the kind of world they would like to live in. 19 year old Hashihara Maito stated that "I was shocked by the current state of this marine debris. Joining this project broadened my horizons, as I could see things that are usually invisible to me within my everyday life, but easily visible when we actually joined the beach cleanups around the world. The debriefing session on the ship with guest educator Takahashi Ayumu was also a way to encounter through this project many different ways of life as well as new people and things that I did not know before!"

The programme also forms a space for intergenerational learning and exchange. Participant Tsukamoto Chikako, in her 60s, shared that "When I actually participated in the project, I felt that a surprisingly wide range of people were interested and participating. People who joined the beach cleanups spread the word to their friends and family, who in turn spread the word, and again, on and on. I feel that the disconnected dots are coming together to form a line. Each person's small first step is really important."

Our thanks to partners in ports around the world who have joined us in these beach clean ups, including:

Honolulu, Hawai'i, US

• Mauliola Ke´ehi, established in 2019, building on the legacy of the traditional families of Ke‘ehi (reef). Promotes the healing of people and place through intentional, facilitated visits to five islands of the reef area. Programmes include learning about the history and culture, engaging in practices of healing, paddling to the islands in a traditional canoe, and engaging in activities such as marine debris removal, clearing invasive species and water quality monitoring.
• Parley for the Oceans, the global environmental organization and network where creators, thinkers and leaders come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction. Working across the creative communities, brands, governments and environmental groups, we take action to protect the oceans, Earth’s largest and most vital ecosystem, with an approach led by creativity, collaboration and eco-innovation.

Miami, Florida, US

Clean Miami Beach is dedicated to keeping our community and natural habitats free of garbage and harmful pollutants with a focus on single-use plastics. The goal is to teach residents, and educate the youth of today, how everyone can reuse, re-purpose, and reduce the consumption of plastic. By growing the local volunteer community, Clean Miami Beach will provide a clean place for residents, visitors, and a safe environment where our beautiful wildlife can thrive.

Barcelona, Spain

Project Sea Cleaners, a group with the mission of raising awareness and educating about underwater pollution and the acidification of the sea.

Lisbon, Portugal

• United by the Sea's mission is to protect the Ocean, by raising awareness and promoting open education and open science. It does this through campaigns that combine the use of video as a powerful tools for sharing information and bring ocean-related knowledge to people all around the world.
• Sailors for the Sea is a non-profit association founded in 2004 by lifelong sailors and friends David Rockefeller Jr. and David Treadway in Rhode Island, US.  They engage, educate, inspire and activate the sailing and boating community toward healing the ocean. Based on passion and inspiration for nature and the environment, we want to contribute to the sustainability of the oceans and the seas and push towards a change focused on a growing environmental awareness, strengthened by everyone's actions.

Piraeus, Greece

• PADOP, the International Observatory of Organizations and Globalization
• IPPNW Greece, teh local chapter of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, a non-partisan federation of national medical groups in over 60 countries, representing tens of thousands of doctors, medical students, other health workers, and concerned citizens who share the common goal of creating a more peaceful and secure world freed from the threat of nuclear annihilation and armed violence.
• The Greek Network FRIENDS OF NATURE / Nature Friends Greece develops actions at all levels of social life, intervenes and participates in citizen networks, responds to invitations, takes advantage of anniversaries and World or European Days for the Environment, Biodiversity, Culture, Politics and Social Rights, Sustainable Tourism, Fair Trade, Rights in the City, etc. At the same time, Nature Friends organize visits and guided tours to nature, parks, historical traces and archaeological sites, and museums.

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Parley Sri Lanka
Parley for the Oceans is the global environmental organization and network where creators, thinkers and leaders come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction. Working across the creative communities, brands, governments and environmental groups, we take action to protect the oceans, Earth’s largest and most vital ecosystem, with an approach led by creativity, collaboration and eco-innovation.
Since 2018, Parley Sri Lanka has organized cleanups, conducted educational outreach and signed a formal agreement with MEPA ? the country’s Marine Environment Protection Authority.

Hong Kong

Plastic Free Seas is a Hong Kong based environmental charity focused on changing the way we all view and use plastics in society today, through education and action campaigns. The organisation's vision is plastic-free seas. They teach not only about the problems but also the solutions people need to take on and push for, to reduce the scourge of plastic pollution in Hong Kong and beyond.
Plastic Free Seas has organised over 500 beach cleanups in Hong Kong since 2008. The organisation have a wealth of experience leading people of all ages in beach cleanups, ensuring that the events are not only safe but meaningful and fun. Participants leave knowing not only about the local and global issue of plastic marine pollution but are also empowered with solutions to tackle this issue on a personal or corporate level. They work with the government and private companies to ensure that bagged waste collected from beach cleanups is removed from the beach and where possible clean recyclables are sent for processing.