beaches

Do Your Bit To Help Keep Australia’s Beaches Pristine

What do you do when you’re at the beach and you spot a piece of rubbish in the sand? If you use eco friendly products such as reusable shopping bags in your home, it’s likely you know to pick it up and dispose of it in a responsible manner.

New research from CSIRO shows plenty of Australians already have the same attitude when it comes to rubbish on our gorgeous beaches, as patches of sand closer to cities and urban areas are generally cleaner than those in remote locations.

According to the Guardian, the study, which aims to discover the extent of human-caused waste on beaches, has been in action since 2011 and examined more than 175 beaches across the country. When population numbers are taken into account, the study has found beaches in less populated areas have significantly more rubbish proportionally than those near more densely populated areas.

These findings suggest Aussies are taking the lead when it comes to keeping their local beaches clean and green – a fantastic step for the environment.

Leader of the research, Dr Denise Hardesty, told the Guardian Australia people may feel less obliged to clean up after themselves when they felt less personal connection to the area.

“When you harmonise the data, one of the things you find is in areas of high human population, there is less rubbish than average”, she told the news publication. “I’d attribute that to a social obligation people feel to clean up areas close to them”.

She went further to say, “once beaches aren’t quite as close to where people live, they feel less of a social responsibility, which is why you find rubbish left behind from campsites on beaches and so on”.

The research has found an estimated 150 million pieces of rubbish may be strewn across Australia’s beaches, so it’s important residents of Australia realise they are responsible for all areas – not just those close to home.

Of the 150 million pieces of rubbish, 80 per cent is thought to be from land-based sources, including plastic drink bottles.

To do your bit and make sure every beach in Australia is kept pristine, ensure you always pick up rubbish if you see it. In addition, purchasing stainless steel drink bottles should greatly reduce the amount of plastic drink bottles lying around in our environment!

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