Green Council Report on International Coastal Cleanup 2008
The Green Council has published their report on the International Coastal Cleanup 2008. Click on the link at the bottom to read the full document.
Here is a brief overview of some of the results …
A total of 2,100 volunteers participated in the Hong Kong ICC 2008, collecting 7,507.33 kg of
debris during 61 separate cleanups (among which 25 of them were held in gazetted beaches
managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department) at 40 sites from 19 September to
8 November 2008.
The most commonly collected items this year were pieces of broken glass (typically glass
bottles), while plastic bags, and foamed plastic boxes (pieces) were the second and third
most abundant items. Cigarettes, ranked fourth among all litters, had continued its robust
contribution to the marine environment. By and large, seven of the top ten types of debris
were originated from irresponsible shoreline and recreational activities.
Marine debris is an anthropogenic human-made problem, and one that can only be solved by
strong action to prevent it at the source. We hope that this report will contribute to efforts to
make Hong Kong’s waters cleaner in the future.
Our results were
DB GREEN Nim Shue Wan Beach / Cheung Sha Lan Beach 238 kgs was collected by 53 people over a 1km stretch of beach!
The top twenty types of debris in Hong Kong in 2008
Rank Total Number Debris Items Percentage
1 55,650 Broken glass 64.76%
2 4,040 Bags (Plastic) 4.70%
3 3,043 Foamed Plastic Boxes 3.54%
4 2,817 Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters 3.28%
5 2,794 Food Wrappers/Containers 3.25%
6 2,064 Caps, Lids 2.40%
7 1,882 Straws, Stirrers 2.19%
8 1,789 Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons 2.08%
9 1,649 Buliding Materials 1.92%
10 1,630 Beverage Bottles (Plastic) < 2 litres 1.90%
11 826 Rope 0.96%
12 646 Plastic Sheeting/Tarps 0.75%
13 613 Clothing, Shoes 0.71%
14 573 Cigarette Lighters 0.67%
15 571 Bags (Paper) 0.66%
16 507 Balloons 0.59%
17 448 Beverage Cans 0.52%
18 448 Strapping Bands 0.52%
19 420 Candles 0.49%
20 358 Fishing Line 0.42%
General Findings
Broken pieces of glass (mostly from glass bottle) are found to be the most abundant marine
debris during the ICC 2008 in Hong Kong. As they were mostly found in the area next to
some restaurants (particularly in Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island and Lei Yue Mun in Yau
Tong). The causes of this phenomenon would be the improper disposal of bottles by the
restaurant operators caused by the incomprehensive and ineffective recycling industries in
Hong Kong.
Most of the top ten type marine debris was originated from shoreline and recreational activities
(e.g. barbecue, celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival, etc.). This indicates that the irresponsible
behaviours of beach goers are one of the major sources of marine debris.
It could be expected that cleanups on gazetted beaches would collect relatively little marine
debris compared to non-gazetted beaches. However, 25 cleanups that took place on
gazetted beaches, had removed totally 432.86 kg of debris. This incidence not only reflects
the irresponsible behaviours of beach goers, but also implies the potential area for
improvements of the contracted cleaning services by the related parties.
Construction materials is firstly listed to be the top ten type marine debris. Owing to the
convenience and the cost involved in delivering the construction wastes to the landfill sites,
illegal dumping activities of the building materials at some ‘hidden’ areas near the construction
sites are commonly found
For debris with low biodegradability and buoyancy, they can disperse from one place to
another by sea. Especially in rainy and typhoon season, tonnes of debris were washed into
the sea through the water stream. As a result, cross-border collaboration in waste
management between Hong Kong and the neighbouring areas is essential.
CONCLUSION
The ICC is an activity that primarily focuses on raising awareness of the coastal and marine
pollution problem in order to bring about changes for the benefit of the coastal and marine
ecosystems. However, the data collected provides much more than statistics compiling the
number of pieces of debris found and their origins. It reflects a society’s level of
understanding of its responsibility towards environmental protection and pollution control as
well as the performance of Hong Kong waste management system. Pollution of the coasts
and oceans mirrors general patterns of solid waste disposal on land and from ships.
Therefore, the results obtained from the ICC can also be used as a barometer to measure a
society’s general behaviour towards nature.
Based on the data collected, we concluded that the major causes of marine debris problems
including:
· Lack of awareness to take responsibility for the waste generated;
· Insufficient HKSAR government supports to recycling industries in consequence of
enormous amount of recyclable wastes disposed to landfill which makes the marine
debris problems worsen;
· Incomprehensive strategic plan for cleaning Hong Kong coastlines where those hidden or
unseen areas are usually ignored; and
· Syndrome of ‘PICK-UP AFTER ME’ have already grown from personal level to
international level, bringing the marine debris problem to neighbouring areas.
In consequence, a lot more needs to be done by interest groups and the government to help
the Hong Kong public understand its role, impact and responsibility towards the environment
both on collective and individual levels. Furthermore, the government should take more
responsibility on monitoring and improving the coastline cleaning activities. The HKSAR
government shall have more collaboration work with neighbourhood countries to minimize the
problem due to foreign negligence of waste.
Education can go a long way towards improving society’s general behaviour towards the
environment (e.g. green living, 4”R”s – reduce, reuse, recycle and replace, etc.). More
targeted and specific public campaigns should be introduced and maintained for an extensive
period.
The ICC is an essential and effective part of the global fight against coastal and marine
pollution. The ICC in Hong Kong is growing each year in public profile and in the number of
cleanup events held, but still more participation is necessary. More volunteers are needed to
help with the often strenuous work of picking up the quantities of debris found every year. In
addition, having more people involved would mean that more people could experience the
seriousness of the issue. It is especially important for schools to see this activity as an
opportunity to teach their students about social and environmental responsibility. More
support from the media is also needed to raise the profile of the event further. The impact of
this event highly depends on its exposure to the public, and we need to find more ways to
reach out to a greater audience. On a logistical level, we need to help our COs follow our
instructions, especially when it comes to submitting the data properly and promptly. Finally,
we think the event would profit by finding new creative ways to raise the degree of enthusiasm
among COs and volunteers.
Ten Things You Can Do To Stop Marine Debris8
1. Join the annual International Coastal Cleanup organised by the Ocean Conservancy
recognised Coordinator.
2. Clean up your trash. Throw all trash away in proper receptacles, even when you are
not on the water. Pick up any debris you see while out.
3. Collect your monofilament fishing line. Do not leave fishing line behind and retrieve any
other line you may find while fishing, but be careful not to tug on snagged lines, which
could be caught on habitat below the surface.
4. Contain and properly clean spills when boating. Use oil-absorbent rags and materials
to clean spills so as to reduce your negative impacts on the water.
5. Recycle used motor oil and oil filters. Local gas stations should have appropriate
facilities for recycling these materials. NEVER pour oil, paint, antifreeze or other
household chemicals into an open sewer or down a storm drain.
6. Consider organic alternatives to household detergents and cleaners. Use lemon juice,
vinegar and baking soda for household cleaning. Avoid using fertilizer, pesticides,
herbicides and harsh chemical cleaners that can wash into waterways.
7. Choose reusable items and use fewer disposable ones. Use fewer disposable bags
when shopping or bring your own reusable ones.
8. Properly dispose of used batteries and electronics. Use your local recycling centre. Do
not dump them in landfills. Electronics leach harmful chemicals into the environment
that take a long time to disperse.
9. Keep streets, sidewalks, parking lots and storm drain clear of trash and debris – they
empty into our ocean.
10. Contract your elected representatives and let them know you care about marine
debris – and that they should, too. Vote for candidates who support marine debris
prevention and policies that protect our environment.
http://www.greencouncil.org/eng/edu/ICC2008_Eng.pdf
