Tsushima turns ocean plastic waste into ANA flight tags with OCEAN THREAD®

Tsushima City has established a circular economy model that converts ocean-drift plastic bottles into the high-quality textile, OCEAN THREAD®. This material has already been successfully implemented commercially through upcycled flight tags for All Nippon Airways (ANA) and is currently being explored for use in Toyota Motor Corporation’s marine cruiser interiors.

Tsushima City is located in the Sea of Japan, and faces a persistent problem with large volumes of marine debris washing ashore from both domestic and international sources. To address this, the municipal government partnered with General Incorporated Association Ocean Taro and Ocean Class Co., Ltd. They have created a system that recovers drift PET bottles, processing them into upcycled resin, and spinning them into OCEAN THREAD® yarn and fabric.

To date, approximately seven tonnes of PET bottles have been recovered from Tsushima’s coastlines and repurposed. The resulting material attracted attention when ANA launched its upcycled flight tags in January 2025. The product saw high demand, and additional production orders were made within two weeks of its release. Furthermore, Toyota is currently evaluating the material for the interior upholstery of its luxury marine cruiser, the PONAM-35SV.

Tsushima wants to foster a participatory circulation loop described as “pick up, participate, and wear.” This model encourages citizens to join in beach clean-ups and subsequently use products made from the recovered materials, such as T-shirts and towels. Tsushima City plans to expand this network to other coastal regions across Japan, integrating local volunteer activities with industrial resource recovery.

The city intends to continue its collaboration with private enterprises to refine this resource circulation system. Future plans include activities tied to World Cleanup Day in September to further promote public engagement in circular activities.