What is BeachMoney?

Our goal is simple - cleaning beaches on this planet.

By participating and using BeachMoney you can help clean beaches together.

It’s not about the glass, nor the BeachMoney.

It’s about the beach.

BeachMoney is a made-up word in our daily conversation in April, 2007.

The beginning was a friendly conversation that Ganko Hompo, a Chigasaki based natural detergent maker, asked their customer do beach cleanups for them saying we’ll give you some discount for your purchase in exchange of beach glass you pick up at the same time.

This made us realize that conversations like this used be everywhere in the community back in the old days and that’s how we used to get to know our neighbors and customers better. Also people who live in a beach area like Shounan always feel an appreciation for the sea and always want to give something back to her.

The Shounan area has it’s own laid back beach culture and atmosphere, and visitors come back regularly to the area.

Then we found out that this simple system can be a great communication tool for those who loves sea, and it’s open for any type of business and organization.

Naoya Hori, the main crew of BeachMoney, belonged to Ganko Honpo and has been working on his own projects such as beach cleanups and writing/producing the free magazine “EcoSurfer”. With cooperation of 42 small businesses who carried ES free magazine the BeachMoney started.

How to use BeachMoney

It’s up to each business what they will offer in exchange for BeachMoney,
but we do have some basic rules that everybody must follow.

With Respect and Appreciation

Be thankful to the businesses for participating in BeachMoney.
Without their love of the ocean and goodwill, BeachMoney would not exist.

“Beach Money Guide” movie

*This movie is produced by the Fujisawa Engineering High School Broadcasting Club and published in May, 2010.
*Kasai Coffee does not take BeachMoney any longer.

Wrong ways to use BeachMoney

Please read through this section carefully before you go to the BeachMoney shops.

Let me explain the difference between beach glass and a broken piece of glass.

Larger than 3cm but has a sharp edge: It is not called beach glass if the piece has a sharp edge no matter what size it is. It is a baby beach glass that has not been smoothed by the waves, so please throw it in the garbage can.

Slightly chipped on the right side edge and started getting round shape. You might be able to hold it in your hand tightly without feeling pain, but would you be happy to receive it? If not, then it should be thrown away in the garbage.

Each one is small (about 1 cm long edge) but nicely polished. These are considered beach glass and some stores might be happy to take these as BeachMoney. Please read carefully each store’s terms & conditions in the BeachMoney Guide and try the ones you think they take.

Well polished around and larger than 3 cm long edge: This is perfect! You can use this as BeachMoney. You would be happy to receive it, wouldn’t you?

Questions About Beach Money

Case1

Please be respectful to the businesses, and do not spread out a bunch of beach glass on the counter at a shop and ask which ones are usable. BeachMoney Guide tells you which ones you can use as BeachMoney.

Case 2

Boy A: “Can I use this as a Beach Money?”
Shop Staff: “Sure. Let me give you a discount.”
Boy B: “I would like to use this Beach Money, too.”
Shop Staff: “Well, your brother just used it, right?”
1 family at a time. In this case the brothers can use the Beach Money together at the same transaction.

Case3

Beach glass is available at a home center (local hardware store) as a “cut glass” (¥420).

They are sold as a batch of 50 pieces and rare colors like pink, purple and green. Each bag has about 10 Beach Money able pieces, which means you can purchase 1 beach glass for ¥42. Please be honest when presenting actual glass from the beach and not this fake beach glass. A beach glass specialist can tell if it’s actual beach glass or not, but we cannot tell.

Attention

When using BeachMoney, please understand the intention of the BeachMoney which is to clean up beaches on this planet. It’s not about the glass, nor the BeachMoney.

BeachMnoey is the EcoSurfer’s registered trademark.


Japan Patent Office Registered Trademark is here.

My Little Pocket, a disposable & reusable trash bag

After 10 years of beach cleanups I found out that marine debris often come from the land we live. Rainwater can move the trash into storm drains that empty into rivers. Or the wind can blow it there. Those rivers eventually carry the trash into the ocean.

We created My Little Pocket, a portable trash bag so that everyone can carry this around and pick up trash before they get into the water. The bag is washable and reusable since it’s aluminum coated inside.

With strap you can wear it around your neck.

It’s small enough to have multiple bags for different occasions - work, school, and car.

Please pick up trash and put it in your My Little Pocket when you find it. That trash might end up floating in the ocean.

This bag is perfect for used tissue paper in the car, chewing gum wrapper and eraser crumbs at school or office.

After you empty the bag into your trash can, rinse it with water and get it ready for the next day use.

The bag is ¥216 each at BeachMoney shops nationwide, and ¥2,160 for a set of 10 at BeachMoney Office.

For order details please contact us through Contact Us page.

Contact us for general information & question

◎ Looking to become a BeachMoney shop? (No membership fee required)
◎ Requesting to give a workshop? (We ask you to purchase My Little Pocket for all the participants)
◎ Looking to order BeachMoney Guide for a Beach Cleanup event. (Shipping is free for order over 10 copies.)
◎ Looking to start BeachMoney in my town? (Please contact us for any advice)
◎ Media interview (always welcome)
◎ Media interview (always welcome)
◎ Looking to order My Little Pocket (Please contact us with order details)

Contact us for those questions listed above.

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