With grey skies threatening rain, nimble volunteers climbed through mangroves and waded through the retreating tide to collect human debris ranging from specks of translucent soft plastic to an array of glass bottles, drug paraphernalia, and take away drink containers. 

This collection initiative was part of a collaborative state-wide project to assess the impact of the container deposit scheme (CDS) on marine litter. 

The Tangaroa Blue Foundation has set up 12 monitoring sites from Ballina in the state’s north to Merimbula in the south in partnership with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Southern Cross University. 

Merimbula was the southernmost collection site with two 200-metre zones marked out for data collection. Data was collected from the foreshore near Merimbula’s commercial precinct and the foreshore at Spencer Park. Data collection across the 12 sites will occur every three months. Four surveys were conducted before the roll-out of the CDS in December. 

Researchers for Southern Cross University will compile a report based on comprehensive data collected from these sites.

“They will be looking at the percentage of containers entering marine waterways before the CDS started in December 2017 and how many, and what type, of containers are now present,” Ms Taylor said.

The data and subsequent reports will also help inform current and future government policy on how to manage and combat marine litter.

 “We go right into detail so we can see what demographics are still littering and who is using the CDS,” 

“For example, we don’t just say that is an aluminium can, we say is it mixed spirits, beer or soft drinks. We are also collecting data on everything else we are finding, and the goal of that is to inform policy on what should be tackled next,” Ms Taylor said. 

Source reduction plans are also an important part of Tangaroa Blue’s aim to reduce marine debris with data collected locally helping to inform these plans.

“We can use data at a state and local level, but we also want to show people how to use it locally.

“Our first reduction plan saw a ban on packing tape used on commercial and recreational fishing boats in Western Australia (WA) based on data collected from the rock lobster industry in the state,” Mrs Taylor said. 

Mrs Taylor said that it is also important to be able to track debris back to the source, so you can bring all stakeholders to the table to discuss possible solutions. 

“If you look at what we are getting here [in Merimbula] from the sites we have collected you can track back to the local main street, the local stores, and the local activities,” she said.  

Dealing with debris at a local level may produce significantly less challenges than communities where litter is coming from further afield. 

“Areas in northern Australia, like Cape York, are dealing with debris that washes up from other countries,” Ms Taylor said.

“In a beach clean-up last year in the Gulf of Carpentaria we collected 10,500 bottles from seven kilometres of beach. Most of these were from Indonesia.

“If you are dealing with your own litter you have a better chance of fixing it. There are pretty easy things here to fix, if there is political interest.”

Interest from individuals and the community is also vital to combating marine waste.

“When you can get community, industry and government together that is how you get stuff done,” Ms Taylor said. “Don’t wait for council to do something.”

Volunteers have been a significant part of Tangaroa Blue’s marine clean-ups all around the country with participation benefiting individuals and the organisation. 

“We got a lot of traction with volunteers because they realised that they were not just rubbish collectors. The data meant that we were able to get change. 

“Because we had evidence, people start to see that their effort is reducing items. Then they are like ‘wow we are actually fixing this’”, Ms Taylor said. 

The ocean also gives back in a myriad of ways. 

“The name Tangaroa is named after the South Pacific god of the ocean,” Ms Taylor said.  “If you look after it, it will look after you.”

If you would like to learn more about Tangaroa Blue, including Merimbula’s next collection day, you can consult its website www.tangaroablue.org.