Last year rubbish weighing the equivalent of 100 Boeing 737s – including enough plastic bottles to fill a water polo competition pool – was collected from the world’s beaches.
The litter was collected during International Coastal Cleanup Day, which is on again onSeptember 17.
Gold Coast residents are being encouraged to do their part and help make the city’s beaches pristine throughthis year’s event, which is being coordinated by BeachCare.
Coordinated by the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management and funded by the City of Gold Coast, BeachCare encourages thecommunity to play an active role in caring for our beaches.
Half a tonne of litter collected
During the past financial year, BeachCare collected more than half a tonne of litter from our local beaches, foreshores and dunes.
BeachCare coordinator, Tegan Croft, said there were many complex challenges when it came to having a clean and healthy ocean, but one problem was simple to understand — litter.
“Rubbish found in the ocean compromises the health of people, wildlife and businesses that depend on a healthy ocean,” she said.
“Every year hundreds of thousands of volunteers worldwide step up to meet the challenge and help clean up the beaches and waterways in their communities.
Cleaner beaches and rivers
“The evidence is clear – the amount of litter picked up by people working together has resulted in cleaner beaches, rivers and lakes for everyone to enjoy.
“There is an alarming volume of rubbish in the ocean and we need to take action to stem the tide and ultimately reverse this trend.”
There will be two clean ups onSeptember 17:
- Palm Beach – Lacey’s Lane,9-11am
- Tallebudgera – Tallebudgera Drive ( next to lifeguard tower 16), 1.30-3:30pm
Last year Gold Coast residents were among 800,000 volunteers around the world who in a single day helped collect rubbish.
The event is supported by Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation and Healthy Waterways.
2015 International Coastal Cleanup statistics
Volunteers removed:
- Atotal global trash weight equivalent to 100 Boeing 737s
- Enough plastic utensils to line the entire marathon course around Rio de Janeiro
- Enough rope and tires for all 14,000 spectators at the Rio Olympic Arena to compete in the rings at the same time
- Enough plastic beverage bottles to fill a water polo competition pool
- Aluminium cans equivalent to the weight of 30 scooters or more than 20,000 Olympic medals.
- Enough balloons to lift the starting lineup of an Olympic Rugby team
Volunteers covered a distance equivalent to:
- The trip from Athens, Greece to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil four times
Top 10 items collected
- Cigarette butts: 2,127,565
- Beverage bottles (plastic): 1,024,470
- Food wrappers (candy, chips, etc.): 888,589
- Bottle caps (plastic): 861,340
- Straws, stirrers: 439,571
- Other plastic bags: 424,934
- Beverage bottles (glass): 402,375
- Grocery bags (plastic): 402,122
- Bottle caps (metal): 381,669
- Plastic lids: 351,58