NPO Clean Ocean Ensemble (Shodoshima Town, Kagawa Prefecture, Co-Representative Directors: Yuki Egawa, Hidenori Tanaka), an organization working towards solving the marine debris problem, has unified its sorting criteria for marine debris into 11 categories, commencing operation on July 1, 2026. The organization is engaged in collecting marine debris, conducting surveys to understand its types and weight, and recycling the collected debris. Through these three activities conducted on-site, it was determined that there was a need to update the classification criteria to make sorting easier during collection, facilitate comparison of survey data, and promote recycling. By unifying the classification names, display order, and Japanese/English notations, marine debris can now be sorted, weighed, and recorded using the same standards, regardless of the activity location or participants. This will enable data comparison across different regions and time periods, improve the efficiency of collection activities, and promote recycling. 11-Category Sorting Table 11 Categories of Marine Debris Styrofoam Plastic Bottle Rigid Plastic (PP) Soft Plastic (PE) Balls Fishing Tackle Fishing Equipment Bottles & Glassware Cans Iron & Lead Other (including Mixed Items) * "Other" includes mixed items that are difficult to classify into a single category, such as those composed of multiple materials. Furthermore, "Fishing Tackle" and "Fishing Equipment" are treated as separate categories to understand differences in their use and origin. Operation Commences July 1, 2026 The new 11 categories will be used in beach cleanups, marine and river debris collection, and marine debris surveys conducted after July 1, 2026. The data accumulated through these common classification standards will be utilized for comparing the types and quantities of marine debris by region and activity period, understanding drift trends, improving collection activities, and considering recycling methods. Clean Ocean En