Littering is a major environmental issue that continues to affect our planet’s health. The increasing amount of waste that ends up in our oceans is not only harmful to marine life but also poses a significant threat to human health. The ReefClean ‘Litter Hero’ campaign has partnered with designer and environmental advocate, Josie Jones to develop a solution to help this problem โ the Beach Hand Bin.
The Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) is set to launch its new and improved Marine Debris and Litter Collection App on March 31st at 9 am! Since its establishment in 2004, AMDI has been at the forefront of addressing marine debris and litter issues across Australia. This national marine debris database has recorded over 23 million items to date, thanks to each and every person who has contributed!
Tangaroa Blue Foundation is one of 17 grantees chosen to deliver projects that will support the recently proclaimed Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands marine parks. The new marine parks protect 744,070 square kilometres of incredibly unique and ecologically significant marine habitats and species. Tangaroa Blue Foundationsย โIndian Ocean Territories Marine Debris Initiativeโย will build on existing marine debris datasets and include the implementation of our robust monitoring methodologies so that we can work alongside the community and key stakeholders to measure
Victorian fishers can now recycle their unwanted and broken fishing tackle. Tangaroa Blueโs Rig Recycle Program collects fishing line, reels, sinkers, spools and spool packaging so it can be repaired, reused and recycled. The program is supported by Sustainability Victoriaโs Circular Economy Fund and will see 60 recycling bins deployed at key locations across the state. The Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database shows fishing litter is one of the top 10 items recovered during community clean-ups.ย ย ย
Tangaroa Blue Foundation is joining forces with the City of Wyndham to launch this campaign which aims to encourage behavioural change in cigarette butt disposal amongst the local smoking population. ย Litter data collected from 23 stormwater drains across the City of Wyndham during the Letโs Strain the Drain Project was recorded in the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database. The data identified cigarette butts as a main litter source and provided evidence for a source reduction plan. ย Given
In October 2019, we completed our first round of audits to show the types of litter entering stormwater drains and ultimately Port Phillip Bay from 4 different land use types (shopping centres, industrial areas, CBD areas and transport hubs). Little did we know, that right in the middle of our 8 audits the COVID pandemic would hit and provide us with the unique opportunity to assess the impact of lockdowns on the environment. The Let’s Strain the Drains project was
The momentum is building with another council agreeing with our rubber crumb assessment report that recycling tyres into soft fall rubber crumb is not fit-for-purpose for children’s play areas. ABC News has written a great article talking about these dangers. You can read the full article here This comes on the back of the release of the Tangaroa Blue Rubber Impact Report 2021 and the ReefClean AUSMAP Rubber Crumb Loss Report 2021 which highlighted the extent of rubber crumb loss
Over the last few years, a variety of products claiming to be made of “ocean plastic” or “ocean bound plastic” or “potential ocean bound plastic” have started to appear on supermarket shelves and online stores. The messaging appears to claim that we’ve solved the plastic marine pollution issue, including what to do with plastics recovered from our oceans. But misleading labelling on some products and marketing campaigns is causing consumer confusion. This Q&A panel discussion unpacks the myths, truths and
Tangle Bins have been installed in NSW as part of our ‘Look After Your Tackle’ Source Reduction Plan (SRP) which aims to help educate recreational fishers about the scale and impact of fishing litter in our waterways. A huge shoutout must go to Pablo Bolomey from Underwater Research Group of NSW who has helped get 6 of these bins installed around Sydney. These bins are being serviced weekly by some amazing volunteers and aim to prevent fishing lines, lures, hooks,
Tangaroa Blue as an organisation has been receiving lots of enquiries as to the credibility of products claiming to be made from ocean plastic. Today, with help from the Environmental Defenders Office, we have submitted a complaint about misleading ocean plastic labelling to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). To assist consumers and AMDI partner organisations in reviewing their own understanding of this issue, we are holding a Q&A panel session with experts from the plastic industry, the Environmental Defenders Office
