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International Coastal Clean-up Day 2021

Every year, on the third Saturday in September, the International Coastal Clean-up Day (ICCD) is celebrated.  This is the single largest coastal cleanup day in the world, and 2021 will mark the 35th year of the ICCD in action.  In 2019, more than 940,000 volunteers from all around the world removed over 16 million pounds of trash along 24,500 miles of beaches and waterways. Over the last almost 35 years, more than 50 million volunteers removed more than 280 000 tons of trash in 180 countries around the world.

Marine litter is a global, intergenerational and transboundary issue that negatively affects the environment, people and coastal economies around the world. Working to support our Pacific islands to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment, SPREP is engaged in the International Coastal Cleanup Day, which is scheduled for 18th September 2021.

As part of the SWAP, SPREP has supported ten clean-up actions from the SWAP islands: Fiji, French Polynesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.

Within this thematic, SWAP project participated in the International Coastal Clean-up Day by financing 10 beach clean-up activities. Thus:

    5 activities were carried out in Wallis and Futuna thanks to the involvement of the Association A Vaka Heke, the Foyer Socio-Educatif Collège de Mua lavegahau, the Association " Mouvement du Focolare ", the Association of the village of Vaitupu, and the Association FALEFĀ O MAKINĪ;

    3 activities were carried out in Samoa thanks to the participation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and 2 associations: Laumei Outrigger Canoe Club, and Samoa Recycling Waste Management Association;

    1 activity was conducted in Tonga by No Pelesitiki Campaign; and

    1 activity was conducted in Vanuatu by the Vanuatu Environmental Science Society.

This action involved 577 and nearly 5.4 tons of waste were collected including tires, electronic equipment, clothing, cans, and especially plastic of all types.

The activity report highlighting all the actions carried out during this event, as well as the results of these activities, can be downloaded from the SPREP virtual library.

 

Portraits of participants

Association A Vaka Heke

My first thought in participating in today’s action is what we will leave to our children – the  island they will inherit. The message we are sending today is not just about cleaning up. Cleanliness is a wider-ranging message, which must become a part of children’s DNA. And this is by no means inevitable. Much remains to be done to raise awareness amongst people of all ages. There is still a lot of abuse and laxity. We must take steps that will have a positive impact on the future.

We must all wake up to reality – better late than never. The planet belongs to everyone. In order to preserve it, we must take responsibility for all of our actions. 

My first thought in participating in today’s action is what we will leave to our children – the  island they will inherit. The message we are sending today is not just about cleaning up. Cleanliness is a wider-ranging message, which must become a part of children’s DNA. And this is by no means inevitable. Much remains to be done to raise awareness amongst people of all ages. There is still a lot of abuse and laxity. We must take steps that will have a positive impact on the future.

We must all wake up to reality – better late than never. The planet belongs to everyone. In order to preserve it, we must take responsibility for all of our actions. 

 

I am here today to clean up our training site and set a good example for the young children in the club. This is also about preventing pollution. We are fortunate to have beautiful areas here and we don’t want to ruin them for future generations. 

Don’t toss out your trash just anywhere! Place it in the rubbish bins!

 

Protecting the environment is everyone’s business, and that is why I too feel responsible. Wallis is a small island, so the damage caused by pollution is very visible, and this motivates me even more. I also belong to the A VAKA HEKE organisation, so as a member, I feel particularly responsible.

I don’t claim to a have a super effective message or slogan – all  I know is that we can all contribute something in our own way.

 

A VAKA HEKE is a local sporting association where children can practice sport. What motivates me is helping with the beach clean-up to keep it a healthy place for them. But it is also for the good of our island. It is important to keep our environment clean, and to encourage others to do the same, based on an understanding of what is at stake.

 

What motivates me personally is my love of the environment, since it is a part of my life. I hope to transmit this passion to young people and to participate in actions to help the environment, ecology and sustainable development. 

Be mindful of what you do – don’t just toss out rubbish anywhere, any way. Sort, recover and recycle!

Photo credit: Benjamin Brial

 

  • Association Falefa O Makini

Don’t just toss your rubbish anywhere – recycle it. This island belongs to all of us.

This international clean-up day should be a wake-up call for all citizens. 

Let’s all do our part in the group effort.

 

All the litter ends up in the sea, and is then carried to various shores. Microplastics are eaten by fish, which we in turn eat, and this can lead to cancer.

Think about your health, your children, the future, your Fenua. Pick up and sort your waste.

 

Preserve the beautiful image of our culture and our islands: pick up your trash behind you. 

If everyone makes an effort, this kind of action will be light work.  

We live in a paradise – let’s take care of it.

 

There is no age limit for keeping the environment clean. 

Good health for everyone means following the basic rules of hygiene, including collecting rubbish. 

Change your habits: pick up any litter you find along your way.

Let’s protect ourselves, our beaches and our ocean. 

Let’s make sure that everyone has access to a beautiful, clean and pleasant beach.

 

Litter pollutes our Fenua, and then damages our crops.

Let’s pick up and sort our waste for healthier farmlands and for the pleasure of seeing beautiful landscapes.

Photo credit: Sarah David

 

Videos produced by the associations as part of the International Coastal Clean-up Day 2021

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the AFD. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the AFD

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