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18,000 pieces of plastic are estimated to float in every square kilometre of ocean. 633 species worldwide including 77 Australian species are impacted by marine debris. Over 75% of what is removed from our beaches is made of plastic. |
Tangaroa Blue Foundation is an Australian-wide not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the removal and prevention of marine debris, one of the major environmental issues worldwide. But if all we do is clean-up, that is all we will ever do. To successfully solve the problem, the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) was created, an on-ground network of volunteers, communities and organisations that contribute data from rubbish collected during beach and river clean-up events to the AMDI Database, and then work on solutions to stop the flow of litter at the source. The AMDI helps communities look after their coastal environment by providing resources and support programs, and collaborates with industry and government to create change on a large scale. In Maori and Polynesian mythology, Tangaroa is the god of the ocean. Tangaroa made laws to protect the ocean and its sea creatures "Tiaki mai i ahau, maku ano koe e tiaki"... If you look after me, then I will look after you..." When, after a week-long clean-up event, the whales and dolphins come close to our beach and slap their flippers, we sometimes wonder if it is Tangaroa saying "thank you". |
Jack Johnson is taking his green touring to the next level by expanding plastic free initiatives in Australia and New Zealand during his upcoming tour in December! Tangaroa Blue is teaming up with Jack and his All At Once community to host beach clean-ups leading up to each concert! Jack and his crew, alongside REVERB and Green Music Australia, are working with venues to reduce single-use plastic for the shows.
As part of a Reusable Pint Program, fans can purchase a reusable pint at the show and use it each time they buy a beverage to reduce single-use plastic waste. People can also fill up their own reusable water bottles for free at the All At Once Water Stations. Venues are encouraged to get rid of straws completely or offer plastic straws “by request only” as well as provide alternatives to plastic serveware at all concessions.
Tangaroa Blue is proud to be an All At Once Non-Profit Partner and we are coordinating beach clean-ups in each city of the tour as a way for fans to take action and enter to win free concert tickets. In addition to eliminating plastic waste at the show, fans can support plastic free initiatives by connecting with All At Once Non-Profit Partners in the Village Green. Swing by to visit us - Tangaroa Blue will be at all shows in Australia!
Tangaroa Blue Foundation was joined by Burdekin Shire Council, Scouts, and volunteers from Townsville and the local region for a biannual rubbish clean-up at Alva Beach. The community clean-up event aligned with ReefBlitz and the Great Northern Clean Up to push the message that the oceans are worth protecting. On October 14th 2017, thirteen beach cleaners picked up 186kg of predominantly land-based litter from 2km of coastline.
Leaving the shorelines cleaner and safer for the use of humans and the survival of marine wildlife, the team turned their focus to cataloguing each and every item they removed from the beach, contributing to the Australian Marine Debris Database. It’s important to know that data collection is just as imperative as cleaning up because if all we do is clean-up, that’s all we’ll ever do. The data is evidence to create change, it’ll ensure the long-term health and safety of marine ecosystems through ‘source reduction plans’ that aim to stop litter at its source before it enters the environment.
This past weekend saw over 2000 volunteers out on beaches across Western Australia taking part in the 13th Annual West Australian Beach Clean-Up, hosted by Tangaroa Blue Foundation with support from Keep Australia Beautiful WA. Across the state over 120 beaches and stretches of coastline where clean-up, from easy to access Perth metropolitan beaches to remote locations like Dirk Hartog Island and Eyre Bird Observatory. Beautiful warm weather in the south west made for perfect conditions to be out on the beaches giving them a spring clean.
Final numbers are yet to be tallied but photos and feedback supplied so far indicate a successful event with tonnes of rubbish once again removed from our coastline. Some interesting finds included 16 socks collected off the beach in Dalyellup, a rusted can of epoxy resin that was leaching into the surrounding environment at Forrest Beach, emergency water ration packages with expiry dates of 8/2017 at South Beach in the south west and Leeman in the mid-west, six plastic pallets at Deepdene and South Beach, a special mark navigation buoy at Busselton, and a large number of tree guards in Dunsborough many of which were in various states of degradation.
A drawcard for volunteers attending the Tangaroa Blue Foundation run beach clean-up at Woodman Point was the opportunity to win free tickets to Tangaroa Blue’s partner Jack Johnson’s concert in Perth in December.
Tangaroa Blue Foundation is proud to announce that we have been chosen as a finalist in this years Banksia Sustainability Awards under the Sustainable & Resilient Communities category!
The Banksia Sustainability Awards, are regarded as the most prestigious and longest running sustainability awards in Australia and the winnters will be announced on November 1st in Sydney.
Congratulations to all the finalists! We look forward to meeting everyone at the award ceremony!
Check out what has been found by volunteers on beaches around Australia!
Since 2004 Tangaroa Blue volunteers and partners have been hard at work cleaning our beaches!
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Postal Address:PO Box 757 PO Box 1176 |
