How to Easily Create A Microplastics Sand Sifter
Want to clean the beach rid the sand of microplstic debris? This how to guide explains the steps to follow so that anybody can easily make their own microplastics sand sifters and help keep their beaches clean.
More and more beach clean-ups are dedicated to the removal of smaller bits of plastic known as microplastics. Due to the size of these plastics, the sand must physically be sifted through in order to remove the plastics. This how-to guide explains the steps to follow so that anybody can easily make their own microplastics sand sifters and help keep their beaches clean.
Materials
-Duct Tape (Any brand will do)
-1/8” Wire Mesh (Roll or large pieces)
Tools
-Wire Shears
-Tape Measure (optional)
-Scissors (optional)
-Gloves (recommended for safety)
-Sharpie (optional)
STEP 1:
MEASURE & MARK WIRE MESH WITH DIMENSIONS 18” X 14”
Don’t worry if its not perfect, we’ve just found that 18” x 14” is a good working size for a hand sand sifter.
Step 2:
Cut wire mesh on your marked line
TIP: Try to cut along each strand to minimize the amount of wire ends sticking out on the mesh.
STEP 3:
TRIM OFF EXCESS EDGES SO THERE are NOT ANY POKEY BITS OF WIRE STICKING OUT
This helps reduce the likelihood of stray metal wire that might poke someone while using the sifter.
STEP 4:
ADD 1 LAYER OF DUCT TAPE TO THE SIDE OF THE WIRE MESH AND FOLD IT OVER THE MESH
We usually like to leave a gap of 1/8” or so on the edge of the duct tape to give an extra barrier between the wire mesh and hands.
Feel free to measure and cut the duct tape with the measuring tape and scissors to make them exact. Don’t worry about overhang from the duct tape. We will clean it up in the next step.
STEP 5:
ADD ADDITIONAL LAYER OF DUCT TAPE TO THE SIDES OF THE WIRE MESH FOR SAFETY/COMFORT
Do your best to keep the duct tape even on either side so that the sticky part of the duct tape is not exposed on one side.
If you have any overhang of duct tape extending over the edges, fold them in and place the second layer of duct tape so that it keeps the edges of the first layer taped underneath it.
STEP 6:
GO OUT THERE AND USE YOUR NEW SAND SIFTER AT A BEACH CLEAN UP!
Remember to bring a bucket or reusable bag with you to dump the microplastics that you have sifted out.
Want to watch it step by step?
Here is the perfect video for you!
Sustainable Coastlines Waimanalo Beach Clean-Up
Earth Day 2019 was yet another great success as over 1,050 volunteers came out and 4,000 pounds of debris from Bellows to Makapu`u was collected. This annual event was spearheaded by Sustainable Coastlines, an organization founded in 2010 . . .
Earth Day 2019 was yet another great success as over 1,050 volunteers came out and 4,000 pounds of debris from Bellows to Makapu`u was collected. This annual event was spearheaded by Sustainable Coastlines, an organization founded in 2010 that is committed to keeping our beaches clean.
Several of our staff members members joined the ranks to help facilitate this large-scale event. Matt, Austin, and Ashton helped to outfit guests with beach cleaning supplies including our sand sifters, bags, and gloves.
The day began with a yoga class provided by Core Power Yoga. As our sea kayak guide Ashton pointed out, this Earth Day celebration began with health for our own bodies followed by health for our planet. She noted that seeing local businesses willing to offer their goods and services inspired the community, and similarly was overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up.
As someone who enjoys volunteering, Ashton noted that her favorite part of the day was being able to lead a group of volunteers and supply them with the necessary tools and information. She was also overjoyed to see just how many parents were showing their kids how to take care of our planet at such a young age. As this year’s Earth Day fell so close to the Easter holiday, she noticed how many groups treated the event as a family celebration that positively affected the planet.
For Austin, the biggest takeaway was the feelings of empowerment. He noticed the variety of people who showed up. This included families with small children, friends, and even individuals who were even feeling under the weather. Whether people showed up for the entirety of the event, or made the effort to spend an hour of their Easter Sunday and Earth Day weekend cleaning windward Oahu’s beaches, people made it a priority.
Lastly, Matt, a Kailua Beach Adventures veteran, commented that it was great to see the community show up, collect a massive amount of trash, and reinvigorate a lot of hearts and minds. We are excited to continue in this ongoing partnership and are already looking forward to the next beach clean-up!
Read on for a few fun facts about Earth Day and it's inception!
Earth Day was born after New York Times’ bestseller Silent Spring was published and shortly after a massive oil spill occurred in California in 1969.
20 Million people participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. They participated in the form of loud rallies, peaceful reflections, nature walks, speeches, concerts, and more.
The senator of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, spearheaded the Earth Day celebration.
The secret to Earth Day’s success was the involvement of college students as this helped the movement gain major traction. The date of Earth Day was strategically planned to fall between spring break and final exams.
Earth Day Beach Clean-Up with Le Jardin
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, approximately 1.4 billion pounds of trash enter the ocean each year. While we are lucky to teach guests from around the world about Kailua Bay and share our beautiful waters, it is not without reminders of a problem we ourselves have created: plastic pollution.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, approximately 1.4 billion pounds of trash enter the ocean each year! While we are lucky to teach guests from around the world about Kailua Bay and share our beautiful waters, it is not without reminders of a problem we ourselves have created: plastic pollution.
This week on Earth Day, we had the privilege of collaborating with the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation to facilitate a beach clean-up for the students of Le Jardin Academy. For those unfamiliar with this organization, it was founded by local singer and surfer Jack Johnson, whose passion to protect our oceans inspires his lifestyle and music. (A couple of years ago, Jack Johnson wrote a song titled Fragments that speaks to our ocean plastic problem.)
Le Jardin has also done work in recent years to reduce their waste. In the spring of 2016, the school began to transition to a waste-free cafeteria with the help of students, the administration, and Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s Waste Reduction Coordinator, Doorae Shin. Although many of Le Jardin’s 10th grade class are from Hawaii or have lived here for many years now and are well-educated on sustainable practices and waste reduction, for some students it was their first beach clean-up.
To kick-off our day with the 10th graders, we gave them a tour of our facility at Kailua Beach Adventures. Although many students live in Kailua Town and are paddlers, some had never visited our shop. After sharing with these young adults who we are and what we do, Natalie McKinney, Executive Director of the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation led a talk to discuss what this plastic problem is, why it exists, and how we can begin to lessen our impact.
Natalie asked students, “Where does trash go when we throw it away?” and addressed this intangible place that we so often speak of our trash going. The answer for those of us in Hawaii is Indonesia.
She also discussed plastic’s origin - oil - as well as a major culprit and contributor of micro-plastics - single use water bottles. She shared the surprising fact that more water is used to produce a single plastic water bottle than the bottle itself can hold.
Students also learned that micro-plastics are classified as plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, or 0.2 inches, and most importantly perhaps, students learned about how to actively participate in legislative decisions regarding sustainable practices by submitting online testimony.
© Inspirimental
After the educational classroom piece, 60 students alongside KBA and Kōkua staff headed to a section of Kailua Beach with a high concentration of microplastics. By using our handheld sand sifters, students scattered along the shoreline and worked for an hour to collect a grand total of 50 pounds of microplastics. Well done, Le Jardin! Thank you for your hard work - keep it up. We at Kailua Beach Adventures, just like so many people in Hawaii, like to think that every day is Earth Day!
Drone footage by Kellie Spriggs. Check her out on Instagram!
Waimanalo Earth Day Beach Cleanup 2019
Come out on Easter Sunday, April 21st, 2019 to help us celebrate Earth Day by participating in a beach cleanup hosted by Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.
Calling all beach cleanup volunteers!
Come out on Easter Sunday, April 21st, 2019 to help us celebrate Earth Day by participating in a beach cleanup & Easter Egg hunt hosted by Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.
The Waimanalo Earth Day Beach Cleanup will take place on the second day of the Pahinui Festival at Waimanalo Beach Park from 9:00am-11:30pm.
Hours: 9:00am-11:30pm
Location: 41-741 Kalanianaʻole Hwy, Waimanalo, HI 96795
Help us beat last year’s record of 1,500 people coming out to the clean up!
If you’re interested in participating at the beach cleanup, all you need to do is show up with a reusable water bottle and a great attitude!
Before the cleanup, there will be an easter egg hunt at the beach park so make sure you’re there on time.
Afterwards from 11:15am-12:15pm, there will be an EPIC Sand Castle Building Contest with prizes hosted by Rogue Wave to help promote their 100% compostable beach toys made entirely from plants, not oil.
We Broke Our Record! Earth Day 2018 – Waimanalo Beach Cleanup
“Nearly every piece of plastic still exists on Earth, regardless of whether it’s been recycled, broken down into microscopic bits or discarded in the ocean.*”
We broke our record! 1,548 Volunteers came out to celebrate Earth day with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and team KBA! Waimanalo Beach is one of the most beautiful places on the Hawaiian Islands but is also a target for marine plastics that blow to shore with the onshore trade winds. Armed with micro-plastic sand sifters, gloves and an iron clad determiniation, community members came out and showed how much we care about Hawaii.
“Nearly every piece of plastic still exists on Earth, regardless of whether it’s been recycled, broken down into microscopic bits or discarded in the ocean.*”
Marine debris come from two places. Land and Sea. The stuff that comes from land is from all of us. Everytime you use a plastic cup, straw or water bottle, it has a chance of ending up the ocean. Even when you put it in a recycle bin, there’s risk of it blowing out of a truck, landfill or ship, taking it to be processed. It is therefore much better to reduce than to recycle. We are also seeing a lot of decelerate fish gear washing up in Hawaii, discarded or lost at sea. These nets and ropes create an entanglement hazard, killing sea turtles, whales, dolphins and fish. Talk to your local fisherman about being a responsible business.
Doorae Shin, Program Manager at Plastic Free Hawaii, explains that, “the greatest impact you can make is by ‘voting’ with your dollar and being conscious about your habits.” In other words, the choices you make in your everyday life, from purchases at your local retailer to whether to bring a reusable water bottle to work, have an impact on the larger issue.
Shin continues that there are existing efforts to combat the growing problem, such as Honolulu City Council’s recent unanimous vote to pass for Oahu’s ban on plastic bags. Voicing your support of these initiatives to your local representative is a powerful tool for change.
If you would like to learn more about how you can contribute, please e-mail us to join our mailing list.
Kailua Beach Adventures
volunteer@kailuabeachadventures.com
Business Profile: A Different Kind of Kayak Company
We recognize that we are not just running a business in a ‘vacuum’ as if we were a restaurant or retail store. We interact with our guest’s, nature and the community when paddling in Kailua Bay.
Let’s face it, life is good in Hawaii. It’s easy to just catch the tropical breeze, soak up the Pacific sun and passively enjoy life’s moments as they float by. Hawaii’s remote location and Polynesian roots allow us to invent our own priorities and way of life. These include relishing the ocean and land but also preserving its pristine state. Otherwise, before you know it, “they’ve paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
We recognize that we are not just running a business in a ‘vacuum’ as if we were a restaurant or retail store. We interact with our guest’s, nature and the community when paddling in Kailua Bay. We consider those pillars as the foundation that keeps us grounded. We look at work as an opportunity to facilitate the interactions between human, animal and our natural world. Granted we could look the other way and operate as an amusement park but that would not be fair to our company morals and community we have built. As a company we want to preserve the beautiful culture and environment and hold ourselves accountable as environmental stewards.
Our Goal: Educate and push coexistence throughout Kailua
How we accomplish our goals:
We hold beach clean ups in perpetuity as the world’s plastic consumption is relentlessly endless. We allow these cleanups to act as an educational tool as well as to bring attention to issues such as the Pacific Garbage Patch. Seeing this issue has pushed us to pay out of our own pocket for compostable containers for the restaurants providing our kayaker’s lunch and sell water in boxes instead of plastic bottles. We help the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources recruit volunteers, provide staff and kayaks for restoration of our offshore islands. We see this kind of cooperation as the perfect embodiment of our goals as a company.
We stay humble, however as we recognize that we can always do much more. We learn from our neighbors and from our out of town guests as the problems facing us are complex and pervasive. So, go surf, go kayak, be outside and spread your passion for these things. People will work hard to protect the things that bring them enjoyment and we’re all in this one together.
Sustainable Tourism Certification
The Hawai’i Eco-Tourism Association is the leading authority on Sustainable Tourism.
The Hawai’i Eco-Tourism Association is the leading authority on Sustainable Tourism, and Kailua Beach Adventures is ecstatic to be Certified for the fourth year in a row! KBA’s commitment to the environment is clear in all of our operations, but the kayak guides are truly shining stars when it comes to environmental awareness and activism. Employees regularly volunteer for beach cleanups, restoration efforts, and bird count trips to the offshore islands. We are grateful for everything The HEA does and love being a part of their vision for the future.