It’s Spring so that means Spring cleaning our coast! Kāpiti Coast District Council invites you to join a community beach clean up at Paraparaumu Beach on Saturday 16 September from 10.30am to lunchtime, followed by a sausage sizzle in Maclean Park.

The beach clean up marks the start of the annual Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean Up Week, which this year runs from 16-22 September.

Council waste projects manager Robbie Stilwell says Clean Up Week mobilises Kiwis to take action together against litter. Nationally in 2022, a record breaking 67,400 volunteers took part in activities around the motu (country), collecting a total of 655 tonnes of waste over an area equivalent to 5,751 rugby fields.

“Our beach clean up is a great opportunity to get your family, friends, school, business, or local community group together to contribute to this national mahi, and also be part of a global movement as Saturday is also World Clean Up Day,” he said.

“Litter on our beaches isn’t just unsightly and unpleasant for people, it can have serious consequences for the birds and animals that inhabit our coastal dunes and marine reserve.

“It’s a fun but also constructive way to spend a few hours and hopefully it makes people think twice about what happens to their waste,” Mr Stilwell said.

Everyone is welcome to come along, he said. Meet by the Kāpiti Boating Club at 10.30am.

“We’ll provide some disposal gloves and bags but as our kaupapa is to reduce waste, we really encourage people to bring reusable gloves from home.”

It’s not necessary to register for the beach clean up, but it would help with catering if people responded to the Facebook invitation at https://fb.me/e/81owQ9ZWY.

You can also register your own Clean Up Week event with badges and prizes by going to the Keep New Zealand Beautiful website at www.knzb.org.nz.

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