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Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew
 A baby green sea turtle rescued from Tamarama beach had eaten so much plastic that it took six days for the contents to be excreted, according to Taronga zoo’s wildlife hospital. When the 127-gram hatchling was found, it was missing one of its four flippers, had a chip in another, and had a hole in its shell.
Carers said that aside from these injuries, the turtle appeared to be in good physical condition and had no trouble swimming. “But then it started to defecate, and it defecated plastic for six days. No faeces came out, just pure plastic,” the Taronga veterinary nurse Sarah Male said. “It was all different sizes, colours and compositions. Some were hard, some were sharp, and with some, you could tell the plastic had writing on it. This is all some of these poor little things are eating. There’s so much plastic around they’re just consuming it as their first initial food,” she said. Despite progress, it could be a whole year before he is released back into the wild and coastal waters. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #turtle #plastic #litter #rubbish This is a great 20 min watch we think. It creates awareness about the Cook River in Sydney. https://youtu.be/xmxKUwB8VFQ
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #Sydney #cooksriver  Good Morning from Manly Beach
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #helloManly #loveManly #savetheocean  Macquarie University is committed to sustainability and has a sustainable campus, they claim on their website.They have made an offical commitment to reducing their negative impact on our society and environment, established a sustainability unit and they even offer Master degrees in Environment and Environmental Management and yet today, their "Open Day" today looks like this.
Balloons are in the top three most harmful waste items to wildlife. Birds and turtles not only ingest balloons, they actively select them as food. This is because a burst balloon often resembles a jellyfish, the natural food sources of many marine species like turtles. Ingesting balloons, and the clips and strings attached to them, can cause intestinal blockages and results in a slow painful death through starvation. Marine animals don’t have the gastrointestinal pH levels to breakdown a balloon and for turtles, it may also cause floating syndrome. Trapped gases in the gut can cause a turtle to become buoyant, unable to dive for food—making them vulnerable to boat strikes and leading to starvation and severe dehydration. Wildlife, both terrestrial and marine, can also become entangled in balloon ribbons or strings, causing injury or death through drowning, suffocation, or an inability to feed and avoid predators. Even if balloons are disposed of "safely" they go to landfill where it may take up to 1,000 years to decompose, leaching potentially toxic substances into the soil and water. Even if these balloons are biodegradable, it's greenwash. Natural latex may be biodegradable, but after adding chemicals, plasticizers and artificial dyes, how natural could it be? It may degrade after several years, but it’s surely not “biodegradable.” If you want to discuss sustainably with Macquarie University, this is their email sustainability@mq.edu.au and this is their commitment to sustainability: https://www.mq.edu.au/.../other-university.../sustainability #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #balloons #ballonsblow #sustainability #macquarieuniversity #MyMQ  How many masks do you see littered in a day?
. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #mask #littered #animals  Please share
Keep Australia Beautiful Week Keep Australia Beautiful Week runs from 15 to 21 August 2022 to raise awareness about the simple things we can all do in our daily lives to reduce our impact on the environment and encourage action. So this week we celebrate some of our wonderful ‘wildlife waste warrior’ volunteers. Anne Jackson started not-for-profit organisation MediDivert in May 2019 to procure unused medical goods destined for landfill and redeploy them to wildlife organisations, sanctuaries, carers and vets that treat wildlife free of charge. Her efforts have saved over three tonnes of goods from landfill and over 1000 litres of fluids from the drain. This helped save the lives of countless native birds, reptiles and animals, particularly during the 2019/2020 Black Summer Bushfires. If your medical organisation would like to partner with MediDivert, please contact Anne by email medidivert@gmail.com A repurposed operating theatre hand towel, small syringe and intravenous cannula was used to feed an orphaned baby ringtail possum - SWR volunteer Margaret Woods Post shared from @sydneywildliferescue #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #Sydneywildlife #medidivert  Important reminders.We will keep speaking up about it, educate, share/post about it, get it out there more and hope to make this movement bigger and bigger. Balloons, don't only injure/entangle/kill wildlife. They can be deadly for people too.
- preventing exposure is key - latex allergy has no cure - latex allergy is also airborne allergy - latex allergy can be both contact and airborne - each exposure makes it more progressive - exposure sensitizes the body - not everyone will develop a latex allergy - latex allergy ranges from mild - severe or minor - real severe/anaphylactic - going completely latex free and using alternatives is the best and safest way - be considerate of others, think twice . #latexallergy #latexallergyawareness #latexallergies #balloonsblow #banballoons #balloonssuck #balloonskill #saynotoballoons #BanHeliumBalloons #latexallergysucks #latexban #allergies #allergy #allergyawareness #allergyeducation #nbcuc #northernbeachescleanupcrew  Seabirds and other animals like a good feed of fish too, and are often attracted to fishing activity, especially from jetties
No-one wants to lose their gear, or see wildlife entangled in a line or net or hooked unnecessarily. Cover up your bait and be aware of what is around when you cast a line. Dispose of unwanted fishing gear properly or take it home with you – there are fishing line disposal bins at many popular fishing spots At-risk seabirds include albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, and other animals at-risk of injury or entanglement include turtles and marine mammals such as dolphins If you do accidentally catch a seabird, unhook and disentangle it gently, or if you prefer having assistance and you live on Sydney's northern beaches, call Seabird and Turtle Rescue on 0438862676 Pic: Natalee Yzerman, Western Australian Seabird Rescue #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #fishingsucks #fishing #pelican #wildliferescue First there was the coffee bean, then the instant coffee jar, and then expensive coffee shop drinks on the go. In the past decade or more coffee drinkers worldwide have adopted a new method of getting their daily jolt of caffeine - the coffee capsule machine. Coffee pods are one of the best examples of unnecessary single-use plastics that are polluting our planet. Many end up getting incinerated, dumping poison into our air, water and our soil. If you drink pods, buy pods that can be composted and compost them or use ground beans and compost them. The sad truth is that nearly nothing in landfills breaks down: coffee grounds, compostable materials, paper, plastic, nothing. Please check your pods and don't buy the greenwash. When buying compostable pods, look for these signs: 1. Australian certified compostable (the EU certifications are not accepted here). 2. Look for a clear returns program. 3. Look at the product - if the lid looks shiny and like aluminium, it is not compostable. 4. Beware of the word "biodegradable" — it's often used as a green washing mechanism. Especially the term "oxo-biodegradable", this means it is essentially plastic. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #coffee #coffeepod #plasticfree #plastic Credit @gocomics  Laziness photographed. Despite what many people claim, we still see lots of bottles and cans not being recycled as well as single-use coffee cups - why not bring your own cup? Pic at Wynyard station today. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #bin #recycling #recycle #rubbish  In February, Coca-Cola announced it will make at least 25% of its packaging reusable by 2030. But in their just-released 2021 Business and Environmental, Social, and Governance report, Coke actually increased the amount of single-use plastic bottles produced by *13 BILLION* in 2021. Here's their number of bottles produced each year- 2018: 117 billion 2019: 120 billion 2020: 112 billion 2021: 125 billion #Greenpeace #plastic #plasticfree #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #Coca-Cola #saynotoplastic  We found this in Narrabeen Lagoon on our last clean up. America's Cup 1987 it says on it. It's been in the lagoon for a while. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #beachcleanup #Coca-Cola #litter #rubbish  Anyone else confused? Photo taken on the 19th of June at K-Mart, Warringah Mall. Single-use plastic lightweight plastic bags were banned from 1 June 2022 following laws passed by the NSW Government six months ago. Businesses in NSW are no longer be able to give customers lightweight plastic bags from 1 June or to have them in stock. What is being banned? Plastic bags banned from 1 June: lightweight plastic bags of 35 microns or less (including compostable and bioplastic alternatives) Plastics bags not banned from 1 June include: thicker plastic bags over 35 microns (such as bags at some supermarkets and boutique stores) barrier bags such as produce and deli bags, bin liners, compost caddy liners, nappy bags and pet-waste bags To help retailers adjust to the change, the NSW Government has partnered with the National Retail Association to run an education campaign for small businesses across NSW showing how they can phase out and replace single-use plastics. Retailers, suppliers, community groups and not-for-profit organisations can contact the National Retail Association for advice on the NSW ban on 1800 844 946 or email sustainability@nra.net.au #northernbeachescleanupcrew #banthebag #nbcuc #plastic #plasticbag  If it works in Sweden, why can't it work in Australia? In Sweden strawberries are sold in paper boxes with no lid. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #strawberries #Sweden #plastic #plasticfree    Plastic - everyday killer and destroyer of wildlife. This turtle was not lucky enough to get help in time. Plastic is everywhere. Did you know that "No-one in their daily life within a period of 10 minutes isn't touching something that is made of plastic"?
The rate at which plastic breaks down depends upon the conditions and the type of plastic. It breaks down faster if exposed to physical abrasion and sunlight. Then there's a lot to do with how thick the plastic is, how dense the plastic is, and does it have UV stabilisers. But even if that bag breaks down over the course of six months or a year, it might well have had a lot of environmental impact before that. It is really hard to quantify just how much plastic is in the ocean, but the latest figures estimate there are up to 51 trillion particles or 236,000 tonnes. That says around 40 times the plastic that's in the ocean is going in every year. So there's a whole bunch that has to be going somewhere else. There are two types of plastics that float: polyethelene, which is used to make milk jugs and plastic bags, and polypropolene, which is used for things like bottle caps, straws and dairy containers. As they travel out to sea plastics get ground down into small, hard cubes, which can be eaten by marine animals. Animals get wrapped up in monofilament fishing line nets, plastic bags, balloons, and straps. A research has estimated that between 5,000 and 15,000 sea turtles are entangled each year by derelict fishing gear washing ashore in northern Australia alone.Anything that is long or flexible or sheet-like is the worst. The second biggest issue is the impact of eating plastic — it is estimated around 90 per cent of seabirds are doing so. These plastics can cause blockages of the gut or perforation of the intestines. What plastic habits can you change today? 1. Buy vegetables not wrapped in plastic bags or in plastic containers? 2. Bring your own fabric or cloth bag when you do shopping? 3. Say no to plastic straws? 4. Sit down in the coffee shop instead of getting a takeaway coffee? 5. Refuse balloons? 6. Say no to soyfish sauce containers? #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #plastic #plasticfree #beachcleanup  This is the ocean if we don't clean up (or change our single-use plastic habits)
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #beachcleanup #saveouroceans  Cardboard tomato punnets are introduced to Perth supermarkets.
The design and material are understood to be the first of their kind in Australia. The real challenge was to create a sturdy cardboard punnet that performed as well, if not better, than the plastic clamshell design. Image Source: Georgia Hargreaves / ABC Pilbara #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #plasticfree #plastic #tomato  Sometimes we wonder about the stories behind the rubbish we find. What do you think is the story of this sign?
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #beachcleanup #curlcurl #westinghouse #litter #rubbish #savethisplanet  Over 2.7 billion plastic items end up in NSW waterways each year To protect our environment, we're helping businesses phase-out single-use plastics in 2022. More info: www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #beachcleanup #plastic #plasticfree  This picture is from Bel & Israel’s travels around Australia. It’s shows the contents from one of the sea turtles who was recovering from ingesting this plastic.
There are some ways that we can all make a difference to the rubbish we produce and therefore impact the volume of rubbish that ends up in our environment and potentially affecting our wildlife. The first thing to consider is "Never buy the single-use-plastic items in the first place." Australia is one of the highest producers of waste per head of population in the world #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #plastic #plasticfree #turtle  You can find single-use-plastic raincoats for less than $1 online. You often see them for sale at concerts or other outdoor events and when it's time to leave, they're littered on the ground in masses. They are marketed as "a disposable raincoat, lightweight and convenient to use. One size fits all. A must for sudden rain, sports/music events, travel, camping, walking, concerts, outdoor events etc. Can be folded to be a very small size, easily stored."
What are your thoughts on these raincoats? Personally, we think it's pretty easy to bring a reusable rain coat with you. We hope that your event will never sell or provide these at your events. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #raincoat #concert #saynotoplastic #plastic  This is what K-Mart's loading dock looks like at Warriewood. No care for animals or nature. Rubbish and plastic littered and left for animals to eat and drag to the nearby wetlands.
Yet, it states the following on K-Mart's website: "As a large retailer we take our responsibility very seriously to care for and respect our planet and all the lives that we touch." (*https://www.kmart.com.au/bettertogether/) Warriewood Wetlands the largest remaining sand plain wetland in the northern Sydney area. It provides a variety of habitats for native animals and also plays a vital role in flood mitigation, nutrient recycling and filtering sediments. The wetlands contain several Endangered Ecological Communities. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #warriewood #warriewoodwetlands #kmartaus #kmartAustralia #warriewoodwetland #nbcuc #Kmart  The most environmentally friendly product is the one you didn't buy.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #beachcleanup #plastic #plasticfree  What other pointless packaging have you seen today?
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #plastic #plasticfree #plasticfreeproduce |
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