Towards an Island with Zero Synthetic Detergents | The 'Save the Sea' Demonstration Experiment on Jinoshima
Wanting to protect the sea—voices born from the island and the aspirations of a company
A small remote island floating off the coast of Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Jinoshima. With a population of only 140, where fishing is the pillar of life, this island was rich in natural seaweed and fish, and the sea was life itself.
However, a few years ago, voices of anxiety began to whisper among the fishermen.
"The seabed is not as visible as it used to be"
"The color of the seaweed has become paler"
Quietly, but surely, the sea was changing. One of the suspected causes was the components of synthetic detergents flowing out from households. That invisible pollution was slowly eroding the sea.
A single proposal
Around that time, Shabondama Soap Co., Ltd., which makes additive-free soap, had a connection with Munakata City through environmental events. The company's sales manager consulted with the city.
"Why don't we investigate the impact of household wastewater on the environment as a community?"
The city thought about it. Where is a place that meets the conditions suitable for an experiment?
And what came to mind was this small remote island, Jinoshima.
The population is small, the water environment is closed, and it is easy to measure the impact. And above all, people who have a strong consciousness of "wanting to protect the sea" through fishing live there—.
Thus, a rare demonstration project where a company and the government joined hands began to move quietly.
An island-wide challenge
In August 2021, an islander briefing session was held.
At the venue, the differences between synthetic detergents and additive-free soap, and their impact on water quality, were shown with photos and data.
Soap is made from naturally derived fatty acid sodium and is broken down in a short period by the power of microorganisms. On the other hand, surfactants in synthetic detergents can remain depending on conditions and sometimes show toxicity to aquatic organisms—.
At first, there were voices of anxiety such as "Isn't soap bad at foaming?" or "Will the dirt come off?"
However, the islanders had a common feeling in their hearts.
"We want to protect the sea".
It was decided that all households, schools, and public facilities would stop using synthetic detergents all at once and switch everything from kitchen, laundry, cleaning, and body soap to Shabondama soap.
Three parties in action
The project was carried out with a clear division of roles.
Company: Provision of soap, water quality survey, guidance on how to use
Government: Regional coordination, holding briefing sessions, following up with islanders
Islanders: Continue using soap in daily life and cooperate with the experiment
For three months starting in September 2021, synthetic detergents disappeared from the island.
From the kitchen, from the laundry area, and from the bathroom—.
The ocean responded
Eventually, changes began to appear.
The clarity of the water increased, and there were more days when the seabed was clearly visible.
The green of the seaweed deepened, and the number of small creatures clinging to it grew. Fishermen began to feel that 'the fish have returned.'
It was an achievement that moved people's hearts more than the numbers did.
'I'm glad we did it,' 'I want to keep doing this'—the atmosphere on the island changed to something a little more proud.
Behind the success
This challenge did not succeed by chance.
The closed environment of the island, the strong awareness of the people living with the sea, and the trust between the company and the local government.
Furthermore, it was because of the collaboration that divided roles and leveraged each other's strengths that the results became visible in such a short period.
Challenges for the future
However, this is not the finish line.
The price and availability of soap
The difficulty of reaching consensus in other regions
The accumulation of long-term water quality data
These are challenges that must be overcome in the future.
Even so, the case of Jijima Island holds the potential to spread across the country.
Three first steps you can take in your own region
This story is not just about a special island. We can start taking actions to protect the ocean and rivers from our own homes.
Switch your dish soap to additive-free soap
The easiest step you can take starting today. You can reduce the environmental burden before the wastewater reaches the rivers and the sea.Create a week where you switch to soap for laundry
By setting aside even just one day a week to be free of synthetic detergents, you can reduce the burden and get used to how it feels to use.Get into the habit of reading ingredient labels
Check if it is primarily 'sodium fatty acid' and choose products without unnecessary fragrances or fluorescent whitening agents.
Your small step will certainly help nature in places you cannot see.
In conclusion
Behind the revival of Jijima's ocean, there werepeople's feelingsandactionsthat cannot be explained by numbers and data alone.
This story teaches us that 'environmental conservation is a story for a distant world' is not true.
The next protagonist to protect the ocean and rivers — it might just be you.
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