Litter on our local beaches…what are we finding?
This week the Education Team headed to Dromana Beach on the Mornington Peninsula to film a litter collection; sort; and report workshop for our I SEA I CARE Marine Ambassadors. The collection of beach litter is only one part of this activity which has a focus on stopping litter at the source which involves identifying the types of litter we find on particular beaches and reporting the findings to organisations such as Tangaroa Blue and Litter Stop. The more we report the types of litter ending up on our beaches the more power we have to lobby government and industry to change behaviours and implement alternatives to single-use plastics. This soy sauce bottle may have been flushed down the stormwater drains which flow through to an outlet at this beach, floated in with the high tide, or been dropped after use on take-away food by a beach visitor. This item highlights the challenges involved in identifying potential litter sources, whilst also providing an important example of a single-use plastic for which alternatives are readily available. For example, a retailer could have large Soy sauce bottle to pour on food rather when requested; or soy sauce fans may have a bottle in the car, or take one with them when they are heading out for take-away. These are just a few simple solutions to a common single-use plastic item found on many of the beaches around our bays. If you would like to learn more about litter sorting and reporting, or to join one of our litter activities contact our education team at https://www.dolphinresearch.org.au/education/
