On Sunday May 15th 2022 at 10am, the Recycling and Conservancy Societies will host their annual beach clean-up here on Mayne Island. We first started holding these events some 20 years ago. These clean-ups have always been a popular activity, with often a hundred volunteers clearing a ton or more of debris from our beaches. If you would like to join us on May 15th, contact a captain at one of the phone numbers or email address listed above! And please bring your own gloves and container to collect debris in.
Picking up beach debris is something I have been doing year round since I first started been coming to Mayne some 34 years ago. I know I am not alone in this activity as many of the our beaches have great piles of garbage collected long before the day of the annual clean-up. As well, some people take this beach debris home where they recycle it or put it in their own garbage.
So why do we all do this? In a world where the ocean has become the garbage dump and sewage outlet for humanity it is indeed discouraging to contemplate our future. The giant garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean is now larger than France, Germany and Spain combined. If we continue in our current wasteful ways it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the ocean. Life originated from the water but our disposable habits are killing this life force.
While picking up some debris from the beach may seem like the proverbial ‘ drop in the ocean’, it can be an opportunity to do something positive for the environment and the creatures that live there.
Picking up beach debris is something I have been doing year round since I first started been coming to Mayne some 34 years ago. I know I am not alone in this activity as many of the our beaches have great piles of garbage collected long before the day of the annual clean-up. As well, some people take this beach debris home where they recycle it or put it in their own garbage.
So why do we all do this? In a world where the ocean has become the garbage dump and sewage outlet for humanity it is indeed discouraging to contemplate our future. The giant garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean is now larger than France, Germany and Spain combined. If we continue in our current wasteful ways it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the ocean. Life originated from the water but our disposable habits are killing this life force.
While picking up some debris from the beach may seem like the proverbial ‘ drop in the ocean’, it can be an opportunity to do something positive for the environment and the creatures that live there.
For over two decades the Recycling Society, in partnership with the Mayne Island Conservancy has led an annual one day clean-up of beaches on Mayne Island. Held in the springtime, this massive volunteer effort, with often over 100 people involved, combs all of our popular beaches, removing the flotsam and jetsam. Typically over a ton of debris is removed, brought to the depot, where it is sorted and weighed, and then trucked off island for disposal. This fun activity not only leaves our beaches pristine for our residents and visitors, but removes hazardous wastes from the marine environment. This event has received partial funding from the Capital Regional District.
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