Social Implementation of Marine Plastic Resource Circulation Model from Tsushima

PET bottles collected on the coast of Tsushima City are being recycled and circulated in society as fiber material. 'OCEAN THREAD®', a marine plastic circular material jointly promoted by the Ocean Taro organization and Ocean Class Inc., has begun sales as an ANA upcycled product (flight tag), and adoption as interior material for Toyota Marine products is under consideration. The marine plastic resource circulation model originating from Tsushima is being implemented in society.

What is OCEAN THREAD®? - A mechanism connecting 'Collection → Recycling → Fiber → Product'

OCEAN THREAD® is not just a material brand. It is itself a 'circulation mechanism' that connects the collection, recycling, fiberization, and productization of marine plastic waste.

Ocean Class Inc. is responsible for the design and operation of this mechanism, circulating marine plastic collected through the continuous beach cleanup activity '拾活®' by the Ocean Taro organization as material. Collaborating with government, businesses, and local groups, it realizes the cycle of 'turning discarded ocean waste into valuable resources'.

[ Beach Collection ] → [ Recycling & Fiberization ] → [ OCEAN THREAD® ] → [ Products ] → [ Circulation in Society ]

Efforts and Achievements in Tsushima

Tsushima City in Nagasaki Prefecture is located in the Sea of Japan and is an area where large amounts of marine debris, including that from overseas, wash ashore. The Ocean Taro organization has collaborated with Tsushima City to accumulate continuous beach cleanup and collection activities. Approximately 7 tons of marine PET bottles have been collected and recycled, used as raw material for OCEAN THREAD®.

The collected PET bottles are transported to a recycling plant in Kitakyushu City, where they are processed into recycled resin, pellets, fiber, yarn, and fabric. This resource circulation 'from Tsushima' reaches society as actual products.

Collection Area: Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture (Sea of Japan side, area with high incidence of marine debris) Collection Volume: Approximately 7 tons (marine PET bottles) Recycling Destination: Kitakyushu City recycling plant (recycled as resin) Materialization: Fiber material (pellets → yarn → fabric → products) Brand: OCEAN THREAD® Partners: Tsushima City, ANA, Toyota Marine, local activity groups

Social Implementation Examples - Already reaching society as 'products'

① ANA Upcycled Product (Flight Tag)

An ANA original flight tag using OCEAN THREAD® material was released on January 27, 2025. Despite being priced higher than usual at 2,400 yen, additional orders were decided within about two weeks of release, indicating high interest in products utilizing marine plastic waste. This product provides an opportunity to spread understanding of the marine debris problem and contributes to realizing a resource-circulating society.

② Interior Material Development for Toyota Marine Products

Consideration is underway for adopting OCEAN THREAD® as interior material for Toyota's marine product 'PONAM-35SV' (luxury marine cruiser). This represents a new model of resource circulation as a high-value-added product using ocean-derived materials.

'Pick up → Participate → Wear' - Expansion to a Participatory Circulation Model

OCEAN THREAD® aims for a circulation model that people can participate in, not limited to 'collection → recycling → products'. By participating in the beach cleanup activity '拾活®' and wearing T-shirts and towels made from the collected plastic, the cycle of 'pick up → participate → wear' will be spread throughout society.

Continuation and expansion of beach cleanup activities through collaboration with local groups, as well as participatory initiatives related to World Cleanup Day in September, are also under consideration. These initiatives may include product development of T-shirts and towels using OCEAN THREAD®.

Nationwide Expansion Plan - From Tsushima to Coasts Across Japan

This initiative in Tsushima is positioned as the first implementation case of a marine plastic resource circulation model in Japan, with the aim of building a resource circulation network on coasts nationwide. The plan is to expand the circulation mechanism, where 'waste picked up on local coasts returns as local products', across Japan by promoting collaboration with local groups, governments, and businesses.

Partners

Comment from Tsushima City (Partner)

Tsushima City is an area where a large amount of marine debris washes ashore via the Sea of Japan, and addressing the marine plastic problem is an important issue. Through collaboration with the Ocean Taro organization and Ocean Class Inc., this initiative, where collected marine plastic circulates in society as a resource, is significant as a new model for solving the marine debris problem, and Tsushima City looks forward to future developments.

*The Ocean Taro organization and Ocean Class Inc. are registered with the 'Tsushima SDGs Partners' promoted by Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and are working on a resource circulation project for marine plastic collected in the city.

Ocean Class Inc.

Location: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Representative: Representative Director Yotaro Nakamura Business: A company that develops and deploys the circular material 'OCEAN THREAD®' derived from marine plastic. It designs a 'resource circulation mechanism' connecting collection, recycling, fiberization, and productization, promoting a practical approach to the marine plastic problem in collaboration with government, businesses, and local groups.

URL: OCEAN THREAD | Returning marine plastic to the circulation circle and utilizing it

Company Overview

Ocean Taro Organization

Location: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Representative: Representative Director Yotaro Nakamura Business: An organization promoting the collection and resource circulation of marine plastic. Through the continuous street and beach cleanup activity '拾活®' led by Representative Director Yotaro Nakamura, it has accumulated collection results on beaches in Tsushima and other locations. It continues efforts toward a fundamental solution to the marine plastic problem in collaboration with government, businesses, and local residents.

URL: Ocean Taro Organization

* OCEAN THREAD® is a registered trademark of Ocean Class Inc. * 拾活® is a registered trademark of the Ocean Taro organization. * Adoption as interior material for Toyota Marine products, initiatives related to World Cleanup Day, and OCEAN THREAD® product development are currently under consideration and are not final decisions.

Photo Composition

① PET bottle bale (main) - Bales of marine PET bottles collected and compressed in Tsushima City. Approximately 7 tons are recycled as raw material for 'OCEAN THREAD®'.

② Debris-strewn coast - Large amounts of marine debris washed ashore on a Tsushima City coast. Due to the geographical characteristic of being on the Sea of Japan side, debris from overseas continuously washes ashore (provided by Tsushima City).

③ Collection activity - Marine plastic collection activity by the Ocean Taro organization's '拾活®'. Continuous local activities are the starting point of the cycle (provided by Tsushima City).

④ OCEAN THREAD® circulation diagram - 'Cleanup & Collection'