KOROR, Palau — A Japan-based initiative that transforms ocean plastic into fashion and art is offering Palauans a creative way to protect the environment while generating income.
On Wednesday, Ayumu Takahashi, founder of the True Blue Project, and CEO Tamamura Megumi led workshops at Aimeliik Elementary School and Palau Mission Academy, demonstrating how to upcycle plastic marine debris into fashion accessories, household goods and artwork.
“The materials are free — you just collect them from the ocean and use them to create something new,” said Takahashi. “It’s an activity children can enjoy and easily participate in.”
The True Blue Project, founded by Takahashi, focuses on removing plastic debris from the ocean and repurposing it into useful and decorative items. The initiative is part environmental activism, part creative entrepreneurship.
Megumi, who hails from Okinawa, Japan, said she was inspired to start the project after witnessing a growing amount of marine debris on Okinawa’s shores and its harmful impact on marine life, including fish and coral.
“To protect the environment, we had to come up with something that would attract and motivate people to take action,” she said.
Takahashi and Megumi are friends of Mr. Sato from Smile Air, and previously visited Palau where they saw the potential for the project to benefit local communities. They returned this week to introduce the True Blue Project as both an environmental solution and a source of creative and economic opportunity for Palauans of all ages. (By: L.N. Reklai)