Results of the Coastal Cleanup organised by the Clean Environment Campaign on 15th September 2001 A total of 8933.5 kg of rubbish (or just over 8 tons) was collected by 509 participants over the course of the cleanup from approximately 60km of coastline. Of this total, 69 kg of recyclable plastic bottles and 14.5 kg of recyclable aluminium cans were collected. From the data cards received to date, information on types of material collected and potential sources of such refuse has been extracted. Clear patterns can be seen in where the refuse originates and in the types of material most commonly discarded. What is the most common type of material washed up on Hong Kong’s shoreline? In terms of the types of material collected, it is evident from our results that the majority of refuse on Hong Kong’s shoreline is plastic (60% ordinary plastic plus 15% foamed plastic). This is worrying as plastic is generally non-biodegradable and will exist in the environment for many years harming wildlife and spoiling our shorelines. The chart below shows in more detail a breakdown of the rubbish collected during the coastal cleanup according to type of material. Fig. 1: Pie Chart showing a breakdown of rubbish collected according to type of material
* Percentages are based on number of items of each material collected not on weight or volume
Where does the rubbish come from? In terms of what types of activity produce the largest amount of marine refuse it is clear that shoreline and recreational activities are where the majority such refuse (70% in our survey!) in Hong Kong originates. This supports the theory that the vast majority of refuse in Hong Kong’s waters is washed down from land and that a reduction in the amount of marine refuse will only come through changing people’s land-based habits. The chart below shows a breakdown of the marine refuse collected into most likely sources.
Fig. 3: Pie Chart showing a breakdown of materials collected by most likely source of refuse
* Percentages are based on number of items collected not on weight or volume
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What is the composition of the refuse collected on the Clean Environment Campaign cleanup on 15/16th September as compared to last year’s overall results for International Coastal Cleanup Day in Hong Kong? The results from cleanup that we did this year are very similar to the overall results obtained by the International Marinelife Alliance Hong Kong (IMAHK) on International Coastal Cleanup Day last year showing there has been little change in the composition of coastline refuse in HK over the past year. In particular if we place plastic and foamed plastic together then the total percentage of plastics collected is virtually identical.
Fig. 2: Graph showing materials collected in 2000 and 2001
* Percentages are based on number of items of each material collected not on weight or volume
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Odd items collected A whole host of bizarre items were collected on the day. Some of the stranger things collected included: 277 shoes, 20 toothbrushes, 4 windsurfing sails, 2 wetsuits, 2 umbrellas, a tool box, an office cupboard, a steel chair, a shower curtain, a plastic moustache, a ladder and two thirds of a fibreglass boat!