World Clean Up Day was celebrated in Māngere Bridge on Sunday 18 September 2022 with a “pop up clean up” in the foreshore reserve, organised by Friends of the Farm ( FOF).
Two dozen people, young and old, equipped with safety gloves and buckets collected a total of 41 kg of rubbish from around the causeway and foreshore of Ngā Hau Māngere, the new bridge. 18 kg of bottles, cans, cardboard and plastic were removed for recycling (including a 10kg steel pole), 22kg of rubbish were sent to landfill and some items collected were cleaned and sent to the op shop.
While most of the volunteers were locals, one family of four had come from Karaka to take part in the cleanup. Another volunteer said it was heartening to hear encouraging comments from passers-by, thanking her for her mahi, plus other people reminded their children ‘thats why we collect our rubbish and take it home’.
Apart from muddy lollipop sticks, coffee cups, plastic wrappers and takeaway food containers, some unusual things were found, including a China dish, a wine glass, coat hanger, 10kg metal pipe, a pair of men’s shorts and a small toy black spider. A local teacher said she would weave the spider into a story about a ‘Taniwha under the bridge’. It was alarming to pick up all the tiny bits of plastic in the sand and shoreline. Our coastlines would be cleaner if more people were more careful with their rubbish and took it home.
Jane Gravestock, co-chair of Friends of the Farm, thanked the volunteers for their time and mahi. “The aim of our group is to promote a ‘caring, connected waste wise community’. Today, in our one hour ‘pop up clean up’, we have worked together to clean up this area for our community and at the same we have enjoyed the scenery, sunshine and fresh air. If anyone has suggestions for other areas which need a clean up please let us know. Or we are happy to provide advice and support for locals who want to clean up their area.”
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- The Recycling Bug is Generational
- Tonnes of eWaste Collected – Māngere Bridge eWaste Day 2024
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