Plastic bottles, cigarette butts, foam takeaway containers and plastic takeaway containers– these are the four most common items found during the beach clean-up last weekend. Other items included diapers, straws, bottle caps, small toys, plastic bags, food packaging, small polystyrene pieces.
It is disheartening fact that marine litter is one of the prominent global issue that is most harmful to the marine environment. A direct solution is beach cleaning where volunteers help to collect and dispose of the rubbish found. Even though clean-ups do not address the root causes of this pollution, it certainly do make a difference. Every piece of trash that is taken away from the beach means there is one less dangerous item for birds, turtles or whales to swallow. Clean-ups restore these creatures’ habitats and also aesthetic beauty of the place.
Beach clean-ups also serve to educate. When volunteers see just how much plastic is deposited on the shores, they are often inspired to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics, and, crucially, to spread the word to others. Hopefully beach clean-ups can trigger a change in the indifferent and unconcern attitude of beach visitors who carelessly discard their rubbish.
Even a small sweet wrapper that might seem insignificant, take it with you. Inculcate the habits of taking as much rubbish with you when you leave. If everyone took out a bag full of rubbish, even a garbage dump could be emptied out easily. We are the cause and we all need to take responsibility. So take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.