Adopt a Beach collects 58kg of waste in just one hour
Surfrider Foundation has launched its Adopt a Beach program on the Beaches in a bid to tackle waste – both litter discarded by the public and waste that is washed ashore.
The results of the first monthly clean-up on 7 February are confronting, with a total of 2,441 items of discarded waste collected by 64 volunteers across six beaches.
A total of 58 kilograms of waste was picked up in just one hour on Manly Beach, Manly Cove, Freshwater, Dee Why, Curl Curl and North Narrabeen.
Manly topped the cigarette butt tally at 815; 83 single use drink bottles/cans were collected in Freshwater and 134 soft plastics in North Narrabeen.
The beach clean-ups, to be held on the first Sunday of every month, aim to unite the community in tackling the issue of ocean plastics and the amount of rubbish left on our beaches.
The majority of land-based rubbish is from food and beverages, generated by public laziness and a lack of awareness, according to Jude Furniss, program manager and president of the Surfrider Foundation Manly branch.
“Manly is a major hotspot for littering,” says Jude. “Particularly on weekends in summer where we can retrieve 20 to 30 kilograms of waste in one hour. People are literally walking away and leaving their waste behind when there are readily available bins,” she says. “Some even bury their waste!”
Plastic water bottles and disposable coffee cups are strong culprits. However, the purchasing power is in everyone’s pocket, and they are working with local businesses around sustainable practices. “If you can’t buy it, it can’t end up as litter,” she says.
Supported by local business partners and an environment grant from council, the program aims to identify marine pollution hotspots and pollution sources; educate people on single-use plastic consumption; develop a program for highschoolers undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh award; produce a 2025 Marine Debris Beach Report and Impact statement; and promote sustainable business practices.
“Community beach clean-ups are one of the simplest ocean conservation acts that coastal communities can participate in to protect the health of our marine ecosystems,” Jude says.
Clean-ups will take place on the first Sunday of the month up to 7 December from 4pm to 5pm at Palm Beach, Whale Beach, Newport, Avalon, Narrabeen, Collaroy, Long Reef, Dee Why, Curl Curl, Freshwater, Queenscliff, Manly, Manly Cove, Little Manly, Shelly Beach.
For more information, visit: surfrider. org.au/impact/adoptabeach