2024 Henderson
Expedition
The Impossible Cleanup
The Quest to Restore Earth’s Most Polluted Sanctuary
Expedition day by day
Immerse yourself in the Adventure
Led by Plastic Odyssey, The 2024 Henderson Island Expedition took place from February 12 to 20, 2024. Follow the expedition’s story, day by day.
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About Henderson
Known As The World’s Most Polluted Place On Earth
A 2015 analysis (published in 2017) found that in the South Pacific, one of the Pitcairn archipelago’s four islands, Henderson, has more than 18 tonnes of plastic on its beaches: “the highest density of plastic debris recorded anywhere in the world”.
The 38km2 island has >38 million pieces of plastic upon its shores. Conservative estimates suggest that 3,500-13,500 new plastic items wash up on Henderson each day.
One of its beaches, the 2km long East Beach, is polluted by 30 million plastic items.
2024 Henderson Expedition
Making The Impossible Possible
In 2019, an expedition attempted to clean up the island. 6 tonnes of rubbish were collected but the expedition was unable to remove the big bags due to the impassable coral reef.
One major challenge in waste removal on Henderson Island is crossing the coral reef, made difficult by adverse weather. The last expedition had to land on a distant beach and traverse through jungle and shoreline to reach the polluted East Beach, as using a boat to cross the reef and extract waste was not feasible.
Learn more about the 2024 Henderson Expedition
Plastic Data in Real-Time
The majority of plastic wastes collected was shredded and extruded to make plastic profiles and build furniture for Pitcairn community. This process was carried out directly on board the MV Plastic Odyssey thanks to its recycling workshop. Learn more
Plastic Odyssey
Plastic Odyssey is an international expedition dedicated to addressing the pressing issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. Our mission is driven by the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems and raise global awareness about the devastating impact of plastic waste. Our multifaceted approach involves demonstrating innovative methods to transform collected plastic into valuable materials.
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