This coming Sunday – 1st March – is traditionally Clean Up Australia Day and there will be a cleanup locally along the coastline from Lota to Wynnum, including all creeks emptying into the bay. It starts at 12 midday at the pickup point at Bayside Park on the Esplanade in Manly. According the website it looks as if it runs until 3am!
More information about the local cleanup here (click on image to go to web page)…
Did you know… Clean Up Australia has been going for thirty five years – this will be the thirty-sixth.
A bit of background…
Clean Up Australia Day was started by Ian Kiernan, AO, a keen sailor who was shocked and disgusted by the pollution and rubbish that he encountered when sailing in various parts of the world.
In 1989 he decided to do something about it, he organised a community event called ‘Clean Up Sydney Harbour’ with the support of a committee of friends. Expecting just a few hundred volunteers, 40,000 people showed up – the beginning of Clean Up Australia Day which kicked off in 1990.
Some facts…
- Australia now produces 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, equating to 100kg per person
- Only 13% of plastic is recovered
- 84% of it is sent to landfill
- 130,000 tonnes of the plastic we consume contaminates the marine environment every year
- Today it’s estimated 99% of all seabirds worldwide will have ingested plastic
- 23 million volunteers have helped since Clean Up Australia Day started (46 million volunteer hours)
