S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia 19 Sep 09;
SINGAPORE: More than 260 kilogrammes of trash were removed from Changi Beach Park on Saturday morning.
Over 100 volunteers picked their way through the 300-metre shoreline on Changi beach in the annual Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup exercise.
Among the 262kg rubbish were styrofoam boxes, plastic bags and cigarette butts.
Last year, more than 200kg of trash comprising beverage bottles and cans, plastic bags and barrels were removed from the Lim Chu Kang Beach.
Data collected from the coastal cleanup will be sent to Ocean Conservancy for analysis.
Research results from the Washington DC-based institute have been influential in governments' formulation of environmental policies including those in Singapore.
One such initiative is the "Bring Your Own Plastic Bag" programme, which is said to be the result of the awareness generated by the coastal cleanup efforts.
- CNA/ir
More info
Results, data, photos and accounts of the various cleanup sites on the News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore blog
