Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew’s Malin Frick is encouraging locals to think about their purchases during Plastic Free July and join the next clean up at the end of the month.
With her shock of blonde hair and film star looks, environmentalist Malin Frick looks like she belongs on the red carpet – but she’s more likely to be
found combing the beaches picking up rubbish.
More than 2.7 billion plastic items end up in NSW waterways each year, sadly killing and maiming our sea life and wildlife, and getting into the food chain. In response, Malin heads up the Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew, which combs, sorts and documents rubbish on our shores from Palm Beach to Collins Flat in Manly.
She started the group in 2014 almost by accident after coming back from Antarctica with non-profit Sea Shepherd, where she played a part in saving the lives of 784 whales by fighting the illegal Japanese whaling fleet.
“No one wants to go on a dirty beach,” says Malin. “I started to pick up rubbish on my regular beach walks and passers-by asked if they could join in when was I going out next time.
“The rest is history.”
Over the past eight years (COVID-permitting), the Northern Beaches
Clean Up Crew has grown to a community of committed and passionate like-minded
locals who usually meet at 10am on the last Sunday of each month to clean up one
of the Peninsula’s beaches or lagoons.
Malin Frick, an environmentalist
After that, they sort and count the rubbish to contribute to litter research. Then it’s lunch together at around 12.30pm.
“Anyone can come and join us on the day,” says Malin, who is also a
certified rescuer for Seabird and Turtle Rescue Central Coast, which
incorporates the Northern Beaches.
“The Manly Vale in April [after the storms] was the biggest and worst clean up so far,” she says.
“There were so many large items, and things like tents, metal trolleys, bar covers caught up in the trees, and soccer goals and those big plastic kids crawling tunnels in the creek.
“It
was horrendous.”
Swedish-born Malin and her crew have been recognised for their
tireless work, winning Northern Beaches Council’s Eco Award Prize for Waterways
and The Local Hero award at Westfield Warringah Mall.
Malin, who has been trained by both Al Gore and Phillipe Cousteau (grandson of the famous Jacques), has also been awarded Best Environmental Educator in NSW and one of the Top 100 Ocean Heroes of the World by Origin Magazine.
While the NSW Government has culled lightweight shopping bags from 1 June and will be banning expanded polystyrene foodware and single-use plastic cutlery, straws, plates, and bowls in coming months, Malin says more needs to be done.
She is lobbying the Government to also ban the little fish-shaped soy sauce bottles which are ‘ingested by the wildlife and cause blockages’, she says.
“We’re hoping that with these bans we’ll see a bigger impact, especially less plastic straws. Things need to change.”
Malin is appealing for more people to join her for the
July clean ups at Whale Beach and Dee Why lagoon in August.
“It’s suitable for all ages and a family-friendly group. We completely understand if people cannot stay for the whole event,” she says.
“We are just grateful for any help we can get.”
Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew meets the last Sunday of every month at
10am. Buckets, gloves, bags, and sunscreen provided. To find out the locations
to join, visit the crew’s Facebook page.
Words by Ana Foxcroft
