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.

Download the App

Real-time plastic expedition tracker

Access the web version

A tailored green science app
Available on App Store & Google Play
Follow the plastic debris collection and recycling journey

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

Plastic Data in Real-Time

  • Plastic collected
  • Waste collection
9322

kg

  • Plastic recycled
  • Waste recycling
2310

kg

  • Method
  • Collect of plastic waste
  • Team Collection
  • Transport
  • From the land to the vessel
  • Raft & Parasail

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.

Team & Partners

Expedition Team

simon-bernard

alexandre-dechelotte

morgane-kerdoncuff

ludwig-blanc

Hanna-Dijkstra

piere-de-parscau

valentin-proult

Marc-Andrieux-

yohann-long

tristan-broudic

baptiste-lomenech

maxime-thirouin

Official Suppliers

Plastic Odyssey’s Sponsors