Less is More: World Cleanup Day Highlights Waste in our environment

Saturday 21st September was a bit of a mixed bag weatherwise – in true spring fashion, we had some beautiful sunshine and a few heavy rainfalls.  But it did not deter the Wahi Tukurua team and more than 50 volunteers at the Cleanup Day Whitianga event. Spurred on by the great sounds from the Coromandel CFM caravan, the Cleanup Day crew spread out across beaches, parks, streets and roads to clear Whitianga town and surrounds of carelessly discarded waste.

Happily, many returned from around the central town and main beach with small amounts, pleasantly surprised at how little they saw.

It was a totally different story on State Highway 25A southbound, where the crew of half a dozen who worked this stretch of road brought back a shocking 199.5 kgs. More than half of the total collected across the entire event (390kg).

These figures are significantly down on last year’s 880kgs – which is a real cause for celebration.

However, the numbers obscure an important issue – our most prevalent waste is a very light material.  Can you guess what it is?  If you guessed Plastic, you’re spot on. 

Plastic was everywhere—bottles, wrappers, food trays and fragments—light and widespread. Much of it eventually finds its way into our oceans, breaking down into tiny microplastics. These microplastics never fully degrade and end up being consumed by marine life, entering the food chain and even reaching our plates.

The plastic problem extends far beyond our beaches. Scientists have discovered microplastics in the water we drink, the air we breathe, and even in human bodies. With predictions that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish, the urgency to tackle this issue has never been clearer.

It is encouraging to see industry group The Packaging Forum working to tackle the plastic problem too.  Their vision is that by 2025, all packaging in New Zealand will be reusable, recyclable or compostable. They also empower local communities to tackle the problem by funding local events.  The Wahi Tukurua/ Mercury Bay Resource Recovery Team, who organise Cleanup Day Whitianga acknowledge their support, which helped publicise the event. 

By thinking critically about our purchases and avoiding plastic, we can all do our part to  “Be a Tidy Kiwi” and keep Whitianga beautiful.

By Tracey Bell, Chair, Wāhi Tukurua