Since the July clean-up the council have had contractors clean Koike beach with excavating equipment and this of course has improved the condition of the beach dramatically. It is unlikely that this would have happened without the attention that has been drawn to the problem.
However rubbish continues to be dumped on the coastline and washed up on the beaches and this will go on until the larger issue of public waste disposal in the Seto Inland Sea area is addressed. By raising awareness on the issue we can encourage councils to consider changes to the existing system of predominantly household rubbish collection only. So spread the word - tell your friends, family, people on the street... whoever will listen. The system is not working and needs to change.
One way we can make a difference is to buy environmentally friendly products. Choose products that use less packaging or recyclable materials and take your own reusable shopping bags when you go to the supermarket. A new plant bottle has been launched for I LOHAS mineral water which is made of 30% molasses, a by-product of sugar production from sugar cane. The bottles weigh only 2 grams and can be easily twisted or crushed to reduce disposal volume. If you have a choice make one that will have less impact on the environment :)
Every little bit helps!!!
Anthony - Sarah's successor.
