Thirty two SURG members and friends spent Clean up Australia Day cleaning up Coffs Creek. The members collected 30 bags of rubbish weighing 1/2 ton, from just 400 metres of creek bank. The debris collected was categorised according to material and use and then counted. This data will be used in two projects. The first is the collection of data over a 3 to 4 year period along the same section of the creek and using the same protocols. This is the second year of the project. The second use of the data is to evaluate the impact of the NSW container deposit scheme on the quantity of litter in the creek.
This huge amount of garbage collected in such a small area of the Coffs Creek is a reminder to all of our serious waste problem. While SURG saved this debris from entering the ocean we must be mindful that it is impossible to prevent garbage entering the seas without shopping wisely by refusing plastic bags and excessively packaged goods and disposing of garbage thoughtfully.
NBN news reported the clean up and can be seen on http://www.nbnnews.com.au/2017/03/05/clean-up-australia-targets-waterways/