Campaigners return to litter hotspot

Love our Clontarf volunteers will be closely counting the litter in their bags during Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday.

The national community event will double as a follow-up to the 12-week campaign run along Snook St in 2021.

Sunday’s collections will be compared to those two years ago, when cigarette butts made up more than 40 per cent of the items – compared to 16 per cent nationally.

Plastics formed 19 per cent of 11,000 items collected in 2021, paper and cardboard 16 per cent. Nationally those were 32 per cent and eight per cent respectively.

A report was prepared and presented to Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC), the State and Federal Governments. MBRC has implemented some recommendations.

Les Barkla, from Pristine Peninsula, said Sunday’s clean-up area would include both sides of a 1.6km stretch of Snook St and up to 10 streets in Clontarf Industrial Estate.

Express Recycling Clontarf is partnering with the volunteers, taking all Containers For Change items and donating funds to Moreton Bay Koala Rescue.

Mr Barkla said last year’s planned follow-up collect and count in the same area was cancelled due to bad weather.

Given it is two years since an organised collection along Snook St, he anticipates plenty of litter will be found on Sunday.

This is despite “a lot of the small/lighter items, like cigarette butts, being washed away in heavy rain down drains to Hays Inlet, harming marine life from toxic chemicals, etc”.

The Love our Clontarf clean-up will be from 7.30-9.30am, meeting at the marquee by Moreton Bay Seafoods, 7 Snook St for registration, a safety briefing and directions.

Wear closed-in shoes, slip slop slap, hat, gloves, water, etc. Bags supplied, but ringing bags would help, with tongs or picker upper.

The Clean Up Australia website shows 13 organised collections on the Redcliffe Peninsula this weekend.

The former Pine Rivers area has around 15, North Lakes and surround suburbs the same with Caboolture and Bribie Island around 19, at the time of writing.

To register a clean up or find one near you click here