Volunteers team up to clean up

DOZENS of kilograms of rubbish was cleaned from Long Island last week after a joint effort by two community groups. Volunteers from 3198 Seaford BeachPatrol and 3199 Frankston Beach Patrol linked up to clean the beach at Long Island. The venture coincided with the ninth anniversary of the two groups.

In total, 36 kilograms of waste was removed from the beach by a team of 37 volunteers. A statement from BeachPatrol read “this impressive haul included a variety of items, from the usual plastic bottles and cans to coffee cups, cigarette butts, a staggering 45 plastic lollipop sticks – and even a syringe. One grade four student collected 176 nurdles (plastic pre-production pellets) in one spot on the beach.”

“The BeachPatrol groups are committed to not just collecting waste, but also ensuring it’s disposed of responsibly and as much as possible is diverted from landfill. The collected items were carefully sorted, with recyclables being separated for processing through the container deposit scheme, Frankston City Council’s yellow and purple bins, and the Simply Cups program at 7Eleven.

“This collaborative effort by the BeachPatrol groups serves as a shining example of community spirit and environmental responsibility. Let’s all do our part to keep our beaches clean and our environment healthy.”
Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke and the mayor Nathan Conroy were among the participants.

First published in the Frankston Times – 11th June 2024