When you pull 22kg of glass from a beautiful beach on Sydney Harbour, it’s hard to not question the amount of waste ending up in our natural environment.
No one wants to sun bake on a beach of styrofoam or swim in a plastic ocean. We all have the right to a clean planet and a healthy planet.
This morning, I met with a dedicated group of volunteers to conduct a beach clean up at Athol Beach. Organised by the Mosman High Environment Committee in partnership with the Mosman High Duke of Edinburgh program, 26 students supervised by teachers and parents collected, sorted and recorded 34kg rubbish from the beach. We collected a huge amount of styrofoam and unfortunately, an equally unnerving number of cigarette butts. Among these we found a lot of soft plastic packaging material and plastic bottles.
No one wants to sun bake on a beach of styrofoam or swim in a plastic ocean. We all have the right to a clean planet and a healthy planet.
This morning, I met with a dedicated group of volunteers to conduct a beach clean up at Athol Beach. Organised by the Mosman High Environment Committee in partnership with the Mosman High Duke of Edinburgh program, 26 students supervised by teachers and parents collected, sorted and recorded 34kg rubbish from the beach. We collected a huge amount of styrofoam and unfortunately, an equally unnerving number of cigarette butts. Among these we found a lot of soft plastic packaging material and plastic bottles.
As we completed a similar clean up at the same beach 2 years ago, it was interesting to compare our finding from the last clean up to this one. Overall, it was very clear that the beach was significantly cleaner this time round than last. Even from a wide glance, the amount of styrofoam was notably less. This was really great to see however this is most like a combination of different tides, currents and weather patterns during those visits. However, I do like to tell myself that this was also because it was only 2 years worth of plastic compared to a much longer buildup of rubbish before our first visit. It seemed we did our job well last time!
In our first clean up we found a lot of styrofoam and the same occurred today however on a much smaller scale. I have a passionate hatred for styrofoam and my biggest issue with it is it’s deceptive nature. From a distance, the beach looks golden, clean and totally plastic free. However, when you look closer, the elephant in the room reveals himself and the beach becomes a filthy foam pit. It really saddens me when I hear people say that Sydney beaches are beautiful because that is just a fantasy and a projection of what we want- not what actually exists.
In our first clean up we found a lot of styrofoam and the same occurred today however on a much smaller scale. I have a passionate hatred for styrofoam and my biggest issue with it is it’s deceptive nature. From a distance, the beach looks golden, clean and totally plastic free. However, when you look closer, the elephant in the room reveals himself and the beach becomes a filthy foam pit. It really saddens me when I hear people say that Sydney beaches are beautiful because that is just a fantasy and a projection of what we want- not what actually exists.
All the data we collected has been submitted to the national database to be used in scientific analysis and research. It will be used to chart currents and track our plastic waste which will, in turn, help scientists to predict where rubbish will end up once it enters our waterways. This sort of research is vitally important in helping us to solve our huge plastic issue and it is something that is ultimately pushed by concerned and dedicated citizens.
It is so important that young people get involved in activities such as these to raise awareness about environmental issues and to help keep our planet clean. We are at a critical stage in Earth's history where we need to decide where our priorities are and how important we consider the state of our environment.