Clean the beach: All One Ocean installs stations at Hilo parks

Local nonprofit All One Ocean has a simple solution to the ocean pollution that kills more than 1 million marine creatures a year and poses a significant health threat to humans and other land creatures: beach cleanup stations.

Permanently mounted near beach trash cans, All One Ocean’s beach cleanup stations are wooden boxes containing repurposed, reusable bags for collecting trash. Each station features children’s marine-themed art and signage showing how to use the station, the impact of marine debris and how to reduce trash.

All One Ocean recently installed two stations in Hilo, at Richardson Ocean Park and Reeds Bay Beach Park, and two more are on the way at Carlsmith Beach Park. The four stations are in partnership with Hawaii County and Pacific Quest, a wilderness therapy program based in Hilo and Ka‘u.

All One Ocean expects the stations to educate 3,240 beachgoers a year and allow them to pick up 80,000 pieces of trash, diverting this litter from oceans and waterways.

Anyone interested in sponsoring, setting up or caring for a station or entering All One Ocean’s Beach Cleanup Challenge, email katie@alloneocean.org. For more information, visit alloneocean.org.