Some of Sydney’s favourite harbour beaches suffer very high levels of plastic pollution, prompting concerns for the safety of swimmers in the area.
The most poorly rated beaches included Manly Cove, with an average of 4051 microplastics per square metre, according to data from the Australian Microplastic Assessment Project. Whiting Beach at Mosman (792), Watsons Bay (781), Newport Beach (333) and Foreshore Beach (316) were rated as having high levels of microplastic waste. Dr Wilson, who is AUSMAP research director and an honorary senior research fellow at Macquarie University, said the data showed the widespread distribution of microplastics in waterways, potentially impacting the health of aquatic environments. “With plastics not breaking down but continuing to fragment over time, it means that a range of organisms, from plankton through to whales, may be potentially exposed to them”. Microplastics are less than five millimetres in size and can be items such as plastic resin pellets and microbeads from facial scrubs, or fragments of plastic products washed into gutters and then waterways. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #plastic #plasticfree #beachcleanup #microplastics #northernbeaches An Australasian gannet (Morus serrator) drowned in a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) radiosonde (i.e. weather balloon) on Brighton Beach (Victoria, Australia).
Found entangled with another gannet that had not yet drowned, this one was literally acting as a dead weight, whilst the other struggled to survived. Pulled from the water, people called the wonderful Zoos Victoria Marine Response Unit (MRU) who came and collected both. Sadly, the other gannet also didn't survive. The BOM releases 56 such balloons each day to collect data, and hope to replace the material they make these from with more environmentally sustainable materials in 2022. Photo by: @doug_gimesy #animalwelfare #australia #conservationphotography #balloons #seabird #gannet #bird #plastic #australasiangannet #beachcleanup #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc Say hello to Lionel's neighbour Ken. He joined Lionel for the morning low tide where they spotted spotted 3 bikes and one Franklin's trolley. They thought it would be hard to get it out but they won!
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #Avalon #litter #rubbish #beachcleanup Single use items are littered much more often than reusable ones. How often don't you see single use face masks and single use coffee cups? Compare it to how often you see reusable masks and coffee cups littered. Best is to use reusable as often as possible. Less litter that way. And less animals entangled in litter.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #plastic #plasticfree #beachcleanup #litter #rubbish #northernbeaches Another dead animal because of a balloon. This time it is a donkey in Tennessee that passed away.
"Well I have the results from the vet. She choked to death on a balloon. The string was all the down into her stomach but the bulk of the balloon was stuck in her throat. I wish people wouldn’t release balloons. They end up in places that they shouldn’t and donkeys will eat anything. My little Ninnie died over a memorial balloon someone let go! It was not a very big balloon but rather a small rubber one. Now I will be checking every inch of my property for items like this. I can’t deal with another death. PLEASE DO NOT RELEASE BALOONS TO REMEMBER SOMEONE BY. THEY END UP HURTING OTHERS. I want to say thank you to everyone who has sent me messages and for all the lovely comments. At only 3 months she had me totally wrapped around her little hoof! I will have her ashes back next week. I have ordered a special ceramic donkey from a friend that she is painting to look just like her to put her ashes in." ~ Tracy Trey Franklin #balloon #turtlekiller #balloons #northernbeachescleanupcrew #nbcuc #balloonsblow #beachcleanup #donkey Tag someone who needs to know this
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #tea #nbcuc #teabag #plasticfree Credit @get.waste.ed This is frustrating and not good enough Coles. Coles has a policy called "Together to Zero Waste" and it states:
"We’re working with industry partners, suppliers and customers to increase food security, reduce waste and overall, conserve our valuable resources. We recognise the role we can play in reducing packaging and food waste." Well, it doesn't look like you're recognising the role you play with passionfruits and their packaging. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #NBCUC #plastic #plasticfree #plasticfreeproduce #Coles #passionfruit There are two ways at welcoming students back to school - an unenvironmentally friendly way or an environmentally friendly way. Which one do you prefer?
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. Why are some schools using balloons to promote fun and happiness? 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.” #northernbeachescleanupcrew #balloons #balloonsblow #plastic #plasticfree #beachcleanup #trashtag #litter #turtle #oceans #animals #animalrights We just want to thank everyone so much that helped cleaning up after the grubs last weekend. There were rubbish (broken glass, balloons, takeaway containers, plastic bags etc.) in literally all suburbs along the beaches after last Saturday evening. We have some amazing people in our community that care very much about our environment and wildlife and you're all legends. Let's continue to fight for the good and not give up. Hopefully, others will learn soon and join us as well. Education is the key. Keep up the good work - Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #beach #loveManly #Freshwater #gooddeeds #beachcleanup #rubbish #litter #localheroes #DeeWhy #NBCUC #northernbeaches #beachescouncil Another example of silly plastic - "Exotic Salad" from South Africa
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic Can we please be decent humans and follow the same basic rules we expect four year olds to understand? Plllllllease.
Come on. Leave places better than how you found them. At the very least, don’t leave them worse than you found them. Respect retail workers more than this. Full offense, but nobody wants to run across your old pumpkin spice latte while they’re shopping for skin care. They just don’t. You’re fully-formed adults. We promise, you can find a bin. I promise. You can do it. We believe in you. We're cheering you on. Do better. The world kinda needs us all to step up right now. It needs us to be kind, and compassionate and thoughtful. It needs some teamwork. It needs more care and less…well, less of this. Please. You can do it. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #litter #takeaway #takeawaycoffee #shopping #respect #coffee #keepcup #youcandoit Even though we cannot organise our monthly clean ups, we can still do our bits and clean up our local area. That is just what young Piper did today. Thank you for all your efforts Piper - you've prevented many animals from getting entangled, injured and poisoned. Love your work!
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #beachcleanup #rubbish #litter #notallheroeswearcapes #doyourbit Can we please stop the stupid & environmentally damaging practice of releasing balloons?
They are an absolute killer of seabirds & other marine life such as sea turtles. This weekend on Birds New Zealand beach patrol of Muriwai Beach, amongst the usual litter of fishing line & nylon rope, they collected the remains of two balloons. Many seabirds such as this unfortunate Fluttering Shearwater die when they become entangled in them or ingest them accidentally. If you are celebrating any festive occasion or the passing of someone you love; rather than littering, do something environmentally positive instead like planting a tree. Please stop the crazy practice of releasing balloons. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #balloons #balloonsblow #beachcleanup Multiple Coles customers have complained about “frustrating” click and collect experiences, claiming some groceries are being “overloaded” into one bag while others only contain a single item.
With large parts of the country under stay-at-home orders, many shoppers are now opting to get their groceries via click and collect services or delivered. Some customers received bags with just item inside, such a piece of cheese or a bottle of milk. What's your experience with "Click and Collect"? #northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticbags #waste #plastic #plasticfree #Coles #clickandcollect Dee Why lagoon has 300-500 microplastics per square metre. Anything over 250 microplastics per square metre is considered high.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #DeeWhy #beachcleanup #trashtag Check out these legends - this is what they cleaned up in just under two hours. What a fantastic effort. "What you makes a DIFFERENCE, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." ~ Jane Goodall
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #beachcleanup #cleanup #commumity #cleanup #inspiration #bethechange No matter where you walk, you’ve probably seen them: little stinky discarded dog poo bags. Sometimes they’re along sidewalks. They’re also in the woods or even tied from tree branches like Christmas ornaments. As no one really wants Mother Nature decorated with these smelly pouches of poo, why do people discard their pet droppings? After all, they went to the trouble of bagging it, why not actually haul it away?
Maybe the offender dropped off the bag with every intention of picking it up on their way back from the walk. But then they went a different way home. Or got distracted and totally forgot. Maybe the dog owner had no plans on carrying a reeking sack with them on their lovely stroll at all. They figured bagging it was enough of an effort. Someone else can pick it up. Or maybe bagging and tossing—particularly on a trail—is someone’s mistaken belief that biodegradable bags will quickly break down. Biodegradable bags can be made out of corn or petroleum and contain microorganisms to help break down the bag. But “biodegradable” is merely a marketing term with no standard or legal definition. A study published in 2019 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that several bags that were marketed as "biodegradable" survived in the open air, buried in soil, and submerged in seawater for three years or more. Compostable bags, on the other hand, are made of plant starch. They contain no plastics and are generally more expensive. In the study, the compostable bag dissolved in seawater in three months. Dogs are eating diets rich in protein and added nutrients that throw the ecosystem out of whack when their poop hits the ground - their poo must be picked up. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #dog #plastic Please take your rubbish with you. It can trap, entangle, hurt and poison animals.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #litter This juvenile Pied Shag was dropped off to Wellington Zoo after being found on the ground, weak and emaciated. The team at The Nest Te Kōhanga immediately performed an endoscopy and then managed to get a vape pen out, but unfortunately the Shag died overnight.
The vet team suspect he wouldn’t have been able to eat for days before he came in and would’ve suffered from serious metal and nicotine poisoning. Unfortunately we see animals with these sorts of problems regularly. A sad reminder to please always tidy up after yourself and make sure these lovely birds don’t mistake your rubbish for food. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #beachcleanup #trashtag #plasticocean #trash #litter #beachcleanup #savethisplanet #bird 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. Why are some organisations like this so stubborn in regards to using balloons as "advertising fun? 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.” Balloons are also the number 1 cause of death in sea birds such as Albatross and Mutton birds that have consumed plastic. #northernbeachescleanupcrew #balloons #balloonsblow #loveManly #litter #beachcleanup #Manlybeach Researchers from the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Queensland set out to look at how much microplastic was in all forms of rice available to consumers. Research has found packs of instant rice contain up to 13 milligrams of microplastics, highlighting the need for more to be done to limit plastic content in food. Lead author Jake O’Brien said they found regular uncooked rice had about three to four milligrams of microplastics for every 100 grams of rice in the samples they tested, while that jumped to 13 milligrams for instant rice.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #rice We love active members in our community and are truly supportive of everyone involved in some kind of physical activity/sport suited to them. What we struggle to understand is:
1. Where do these bins come from that are placed both inside and outside of the sport field at LM Graham Reserve in Manly? 2. Why are these extra bin needed when there are TEN big council bins within area? 3. Who's responsible for removing and emptying these bins? Where do this rubbish go? They've been there for at least two days now. 4. Looking at the rubbish inside and outside these bins, it seems to be a majority of single use plastic water bottles. Why don't sporting clubs encourage the use of refillable reusable bottles? There are taps and sinks in all the bathroom facilities within the area where both sporting participants and spectators can refill bottles. 5. As a sporting club leader, why don't you want to be a good role model for society? #northernbeachescleanupcrew #litter #trash #beachcleanup #plastic #loveManly #rubbish #noexcuseforsingleuse Pre-peeled eggs and some spinach comes at a cost - you pay for the packaging. Buy plastic free!
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plastic #saynotoplastic #plasticfree If you buy plastic free, you're guaranteed snake free lettuce. This is a juvenile Pale Headed Snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus), capable of causing a dangerous bite found in a pre-packed lettuce bag at Aldi in the Sydney suburb of Mosman. The snake has since been taken back to Queensland and released.
#northernbeachescleanupcrew #plasticfree #snake #lettuce #plastic #aldi #mosman |
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