Over 22,000KG Of Waste Collected From Semporna Beaches Despite Minimal Human Activity
Common items found among the trash were plastic bottles.
In a massive clean-up effort, volunteers in Semporna collected over 22,880kg of trash from beaches and coral reefs
The month-long initiative, organised by Reef Check Malaysia to mark International Coastal Cleanup Day, saw around 805 volunteers taking part.
According to the New Straits Times, one of the largest cleanups took place on Boheyan Island, where volunteers gathered 3,472.5kg of trash from its waters and beaches.
Although Boheyan Island is less populated, its proximity to popular tourist spots like Timba-Timba and Mataking Islands likely contributed to the large amount of waste found.
On Mabul Island, over 300 islanders joined forces to collect more than 14,000kg of trash, while Selakan and Kulapuan Islands saw 3,000kg of waste removed
Plastic bottles were a common item collected during the cleanups, accounting for 15.64% of the 222,760 items collected.
The initiative also extended to coral reefs, with 63 divers retrieving 662kg of trash during five underwater cleanups.
Massurayah Manimbora, one of the volunteers, emphasised the importance of these efforts, stating, "Our islands and reefs in Semporna are often promoted as among the best in the region, but trash pollution is a pervasive threat to our ocean's beauty.
"I hope these cleanup efforts become an annual event recognised by the local government, with broader participation from the public and tourism operators," she added, according to the New Straits Times.
Adzmin Fatta, Reef Check Malaysia's project manager in Semporna, expressed hope that Malaysia will improve its waste management system and policies
"Through these cleanups, we not only raise awareness of critical issues but also promote collaborative actions that everyone can take to address these problems," he shared.
Malaysia is currently ranked among the top 10 countries contributing the most trash and plastic waste to the ocean, with an estimated 2.29kg of plastic waste per person each year.
Plastics take hundreds of years to decompose, posing a long-term global issue, with eight million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean annually.
Coldplay recently announced that plastic waste collected from the Klang River has been recycled into their latest vinyl records:
Taking small steps to change our habits can begin with something as simple as refilling detergents instead of purchasing plastic bottles or refillable packets:
Or recycling your items at these places:
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