{"id":44819,"date":"2024-03-13T18:47:55","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T17:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plasticodyssey.org\/2024-henderson-island-expedition-completed\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T11:42:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:42:37","slug":"2024-henderson-island-expedition-completed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plasticodyssey.org\/en\/2024-henderson-island-expedition-completed\/","title":{"rendered":"Henderson Expedition: The World\u2019s Most Polluted Protected Island Gets Rid of 9 Tons of Plastic Waste"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”center” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” row_negative_margin=”disable_negative_margin” z_index=”” el_class=”headpage_article”][vc_column el_class=”toptobottom”][vc_column_text]After months of preparation, the Plastic Odyssey teams arrived on Henderson Island on February 12, 2024 and succeeded, thanks to innovative low-tech solutions, in cleaning up the beach designated as the most polluted in the world.[\/vc_column_text]<\/a><\/span>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” z_index=”” anchor=”more” el_class=”article_content” padding_bottom=”40″ padding_top=”20″][vc_column el_class=”pt2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/sgxbe7X6e4Q?si=uhoGHq7vgL8HJCqK”][vc_column_text el_class=”pb2″]<\/p>\n

A UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/h2>\n

Known As The Most Polluted Place On Earth<\/h3>\n

A 2015 analysis (published in 2017) revealed that in South Polynesia, on one of the four islands of the Pitcairn archipelago, Henderson Island<\/strong>, more than 8 tons of plastic washed up on its beaches: “the highest density of plastic debris ever recorded in the world”<\/em>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”44612″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”” qode_css_animation=””][vc_column_text el_class=”pb2 mt2″]The 38 km\u00b2 island has over 38 million pieces of plastic on its shores. Conservative estimates suggest that 3,500 to 13,500 new plastic items wash up on Henderson every day.<\/p>\n

The beach on the eastern side of the island, 2 km long, is polluted by 30 million pieces of plastic waste.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”44629″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”” qode_css_animation=””][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1710413461208{margin-top: -10px !important;}” el_class=”pb2″]<\/p>\n

An Impossible Cleanup<\/h2>\n

The First Attempt in 2019<\/h3>\n

In 2019, an expedition attempted to clean up this isolated sanctuary. 6 tons of garbage were collected on the eastern beach of the island.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, blocked by waves breaking on the coral reef that protects the island, the team was unable to remove the big bags filled with waste and was forced to leave them on the island.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”44646″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”” qode_css_animation=””][vc_column_text el_class=”pb2 mt3″]<\/p>\n

Crossing The Coral Reef<\/h3>\n

The major challenge in removing the waste from Henderson Island is therefore to cross the coral reef without damaging it. A difficult step because of the rocks and waves blocking access to the beach. Therefore, extracting the waste using converntional mean is impossible and requires inventing new solutions that can be replicated in other polluted areas that are difficult to access.<\/p>\n

5 years after this unsuccessful attempt, Plastic Odyssey decided to tackle this impossible mission.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”44619″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”” qode_css_animation=””][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1710413452791{margin-top: -10px !important;}” el_class=”pb2″]<\/p>\n

Making the impossible possible<\/h2>\n

A Challenge Taken Up By Plastic Odyssey<\/h3>\n

After months of preparation, the Plastic Odyssey teams arrived on Henderson Island on February 12, 2024 and succeeded, thanks to innovative low-tech solutions, in cleaning up the beach designated as the most polluted in the world.<\/p>\n

The plastic waste was recycled and transformed into street furniture for the neighboring island of Pitcairn.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”44634″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” css=”” qode_css_animation=””][vc_column_text el_class=”mt3″]<\/p>\n

Low-Tech Solutions<\/h3>\n

To solve the problem of waste extraction without damaging the coral reef, several innovative systems have been used:<\/p>\n