300kg of rubbish collected along beaches near Whyalla

In just one year, 320 kilograms of rubbish has been collected from along the coastline near Whyalla.

The rubbish was collected from Fitzgerald Bay to Munyaroo Conservation Park and included 270 glass and plastic bottles, 130 cans and 55 Kilograms of plastic.

Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula officer Kate Brocklehurst said the result shows people are not disposing of their rubbish and waste appropriately and it’s ending up in the sea and along the coast where it poses a threat to bird and marine life.

“Every piece of plastic removed from the water is potentially saving an animal’s life,” Ms Brocklehurst said. “And if you think how quickly a plastic bottle can disintegrate into thousands of pieces in the hot weather our volunteers have saved hundreds of thousands of marine animals’ lives.

“Rubbish can get into our oceans through littering at sea and littering in our streets as stormwater drains all head out to sea.

“It’s very important that wherever we are we dispose of our rubbish responsibly.

“Our marine debris surveys also pick up strange objects occasionally such as Chinese cigarette containers and drinks bottles, thongs and quilt covers.

“By raising public awareness about the issue, we are hoping to pick up less rubbish this coming year.

“A huge thank you to all our volunteers across the region who do a great job picking up rubbish and marine debris throughout the year.”