Japanese manicurist takes on plastic pollution, one nail at a time

By Tom Bateman

Before global leaders take the problem of plastic pollution into their hands this month, Japanese manicurist Naomi Arimoto is putting it into her fingernails.

At the beach near her home south of Tokyo, Arimoto carefully sifts sand for tiny bits of plastic that she can mould into decorative tips to put on the false nails at her salon. She came up with the idea after taking part in community cleanups along the coast.

"I became aware of environmental issues the moment I saw with my own eyes just how much plastic waste was in the ocean," 42-year-old Arimoto said. "I thought it was horrifying."

An estimated 20 million tonnes of plastic waste is dumped into the environment each year, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A United Nations summit in Busan, South Korea, starting on Nov. 25 aims to craft a landmark treaty that would set global caps on plastic production.

The United States, one of the world's biggest plastic makers, signalled in August it would support a global treaty, a shift that environmental watchdog Greenpeace called a "watershed moment" in the fight against plastic pollution.

Arimoto opened a nail salon in her home in 2018 after a spinal condition forced her to give up her career as a social worker, and she's been using Umigomi, or "sea trash," to make nail art since 2021. To gather the raw materials, she uses a custom wheelchair to scour the nearby beach every month to gather microplastics that other cleaners might miss.

To turn sea trash into treasure, Arimoto starts by rinsing the plastic in fresh water and then sorting it by colour. She cuts the plastic into smaller pieces and places them into a metal ring before melting the plastic to form a colourful disc that can be attached to the artificial nails. Prices for a set start at 12,760 yen ($82.52).

"I know there are other things made of recycled materials, like toilet paper and other daily necessities, but I had no idea you could have nails too, that was a surprise," said salon customer Kyoko Kurokawa, 57.

Arimoto acknowledges that her nail art is a drop in an ocean of plastic pollution, but says raising consciousness of the problem is a step to towards working together for a solution.

"I hope that by putting these in front of people's eyes, on their fingertips, they'll enjoy fashion while also becoming more aware of environmental issues," she said.