Hele Mua’s New Tool to Tackle Microplastics
At Hele Mua, part of our mission is to keep Hawai‘i’s shorelines clean while inspiring others to take action — and the tools we use are just as important as the hands that put them to work. That’s why we’re so excited to share the story of our new and improved Huli Sifter — a project made possible through our very first grant, awarded by The Pollination Project. We’re proud of this milestone, and even more proud that it led to a safer, more effective way to remove microplastics from our beaches.
The Earliest Prototypes
Our journey to the Huli Sifter 2.0 started long before our first barrel build. In the early days, we experimented with small-scale sifters made from 5-gallon buckets, AC ducts, and PVC pipes — materials we could get cheaply from places like Lowe’s and Home Depot. These DIY sifters worked for light use but often broke during cleanups or simply proved inefficient for processing large amounts of sand.
At one beach cleanup with students from UH Manoa, every single sifter broke partway through the event. We quickly switched to manual hand-sifting, which slowed things down but kept the cleanup moving. Even though that day tested our patience, it also fueled our determination to design something bigger, stronger, and more efficient. Those lessons directly led to the first iteration of our large barrel sifter.
The Problem with the Original Barrel Sifter
Our first barrel sifter was built with heart, but it came with a long list of challenges. It was bulky and awkward to move. Turning the barrel was difficult, and when you did, it emitted a never-ending squeak that could be heard across the beach. Under heavy use, it would break completely.
The first real version of the barrel sifter. Made from 2×4s, bike rims, and canopy joints.
Most concerning, the design made it unsafe: the exposed axle rod and sharp metal edges meant that if you stuck your hand inside, you were almost guaranteed to get cut. It was clear that while it got the job done, it had a lot of room for improvement.
Funding Our First Upgrade with The Pollination Project
With funding from The Pollination Project, we set out to recycle the original barrel and start fresh. We researched other barrel sifter concepts online, pulling the best features from what we found and combining them into something unique for Hele Mua.
The Huli Sifter 2.0 a new and improved barrel sifter
The most important change was eliminating the axle rod entirely. This made the sifter safer to use and easier to maintain. We then designed a custom crank-and-pulley system from scratch — no kits, no blueprints. Every measurement was eyeballed, and through trial and error, we created a tension-adjustable, hand-crankable pulley that rotates the barrel smoothly.
Turning Marine Debris into a Key Feature
One of the most exciting parts of the build came from a collaboration with our friends at Ho‘omalu Ke Kai on Kaua‘i. During a cleanup we joined them for, we collected large fishing nets that had washed ashore. We washed, melted, and injection-molded the nets into a flat ¼-inch thick plastic sheet. That sheet became the circular cover at the base of the Huli Sifter, helping to collect microplastics more effectively.
See the Huli Sifter 2.0 Action
The Huli Sifter 2.0 is safer, smoother, and more sustainable than ever before. We’re grateful to The Pollination Project for believing in our vision and helping us take this leap forward. Want to see it at work? Join us at our next cleanup and help us put it to the test in removing microplastics from Hawai‘i’s beaches.
