KINGSTON Council and Mordialloc Beach Patrol have joined forces to hold the first annual Cigarette Butt Clean Up Day on Sunday April 23 and are calling on community volunteers to join in.
Mordialloc Beach Patrol’s area manager Tony Buckle said the group had launched monthly clean-ups late last year and had been disgusted by the high number of dumped cigarette butts along the Mordialloc beach and recreational areas.
“Mordialloc Beach Patrol has collected over 10,000 dumped cigarette butts in just five, one hour sessions with only a handful of volunteers,” Mr Buckle said.
“We’re calling on the community to join us for our first annual Cigarette Butt Clean Up Day. We want a massive community turnout so we can tackle this problem head-on,” Mr Buckle said.
Cigarette butts are not only unsightly but take around 15 years to breakdown, leech harmful toxins into our environment and enter our marine food chain.
Kingston mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley commended the work of Kingston’s Beach Patrol groups and urged the community to add their support.
“I’ll be there on the day to help and I hope we can get a great turn-out to help clean-up our beautiful beaches and parkland areas,” Cr Bearsley said.
“Council is working closely with our Beach Patrol groups and local businesses to find ways to reduce littering along our beaches. So please do the right thing and put your rubbish and cigarette butts in the bin.”
Mr Buckle said new volunteers were also always welcome at the Kingston Beach Patrol regular monthly clean-up sessions at Aspendale, Parkdale, Chelsea, Mentone and Mordialloc.
The Cigarette Butt Clean Up Day is on Sunday 23 April, 9-10am.
Meet at the Rotunda, Peter Scullin Reserve, Mordialloc. Bring garden gloves, zip lock bags and community spirit.
See beachpatrol.com.au for details.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 20 April 2016
1 Comment
Or better yet ban smoking on our beaches