Kauaʻi's First
Self Beach Cleanup Stations
Made out of upcycled ocean plastics collected from Kauaʻi beaches!
Turning the Problem into a Solution
As we continue to deal with harmful marine debris washing up on our shores, Hoʻomalu Ke Kai is committed to tackling this problem in a two-pronged approach: both proactive and corrective. We take preventative action against these foreseen issues, and also creatively respond to the current issues at hand.
Our upcycled ocean plastic Self Beach Cleanup Stations encourage beachgoers to remove marine debris from the ocean and shore that they are enjoying, and the ocean plastics that they dispose of are upcycled in order to make more clean up stations, or other useful products.
Here's how it works...
01
Collect Marine Debris
Ocean plastics and marine debris are collected from the beach and disposed of in our station bins. We service the bins and take the debris to our upcycling facility.
02
Sort and Scan
We sort through the marine debris and scan them with a Matoha infrared scanner to determine if we can safely process them. Currently, we can work with PE and PP, or numbers #2,#4, and #5.
03
Shred and Sanitize
Using machinery donated by Precious Plastics, we shred the ocean plastics at least three times to get them small enough to work efficiantly with. Those shreds are then sanitized and dried, and they are ready for the extruder.
04
Extrude into Mold
Using an extruder machine, the shredded plastic is melted into a play-doh like consistency and pushed (extruded) into the attached mold until they are full. Once the molds have cooled, the product is ready to be removed.
Not only are we creating new functional products, but by upcycling ocean plastic, we are able to divert 40%-50% of it from ending up in the landfill.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to upcycling plastic. Whatever mold we attach to our machines, we can make! We are always trying to come up with new ideas.
What would you make?
Help us make
more stations
Your donations make it possible for us to continue to ho'omalu ke kai (actively protect the ocean). As a grassroots non-profit, every bit helps!
Mahalo nui loa for partnering with us in order to conserve Kaua'i's beautiful ocean and its inhabitants for generations to come.
Find a station
Station #1
Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort
4331 Kauai Beach Drive
Lihue, HI 96766