“Operation WE (coastal) Clean Up” – 30 volunteers remove 892kg of trash @ Lim Chu Kang Beach

3 May 2015 – 29 individuals from all over Singapore hit Lim Chu Kang Beach in conjunction with “Operation WE Clean Up!,” a movement led by the Public Hygiene Council (PHC). Volunteers removed more than 892kg worth of trash, excluding many jerrycans, oil drums, large blue containers, and tyres!

 

Left: Hauling back the remnants of a sofa back to the trash collection point.
Right: The sight of volunteers dispersed throughout Lim Chu Kang Beach

Kudos to these two girls worked hard to remove all the pieces of plastic and styrofoam throughout the cleanup, and didn’t want to stop even when the cleanup was over!

Left: Maludin, our ICCS South Zone Captain!
Right: Individuals who tackled the back mangroves

 

The weighing of trash was efficient, and done surprisingly fast due to good coordination and teamwork!

We ended the cleanup session with a debrief, during which we discussed the 5 Gyres, sites of massive plastic accumulation in slow rotating currents within oceans around the world. Plastics in these places can remain there for decades to come. We also talked about microplastics in the environment, and explained the dangers of such small plastic microbeads in the oceans. These fragments, which can be broken down into sizes of less than 2mm, can be ingested by plankton. Plankton is ingested by fish, and as we consume seafood, the toxins from these plastics eventually find their way up the food chain onto our dinner plates.

A big thank you to everyone who came down to make Lim Chu Kang a much cleaner place, especially to those who have been attending our 2015 coastal cleanups regularly. We look forward to meeting everyone at our next cleanup!