![Finding a new north: reflections on the Community Compass report](https://www.communitydirectors.com.au/uploads/general/Advocate-news-pix/_large/Community.jpg)
Finding a new north: reflections on the Community Compass report
Posted on 23 Jul 2024
A new report has found that community perceptions of charities and community groups are shifting.…
Posted on 02 Jan 2024
By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia
New figures have revealed volunteers removed more than 22.5 tonnes of litter from Victoria's shores and streets in 2023.
Next time you’re on the beach this summer and you accidentally lose some litter to the wind, spare a thought for the selfless volunteers dedicated to picking up after you.
The enormous magnitude of this effort has been revealed by Australia’s largest volunteer community beach and street cleaning group.
Figures compiled by Beach Patrol Australia have revealed its volunteers removed more than 22.5 tonnes of litter from the nation’s shores and streets in 2023.
The pile of discarded waste included more than 360,000 items made from plastic – 43,070 of them drink bottles.
Beach Patrol Australia organised 1,791 beach clean up events throughout 2023.
Each Beach Patrol volunteer spent, on average, more than an entire day picking up litter.
The most numerous items of rubbish collected and counted include:
“Our findings are clear: our coastlines are under threat and the time to act is now to ramp up our game when it comes to plastic litter and waste."
The data was collected by volunteers who entered their data into the LitterStopper app, which is also shared on the LitterStopper web page.
Dr Ross Headifen, co-founder of BeachPatrol Australia, said the collection statistics highlighted the urgent need for more targeted action.
“Our findings are clear: our coastlines are under threat and the time to act is now to ramp up our game when it comes to plastic litter and waste.
“The findings underscore the severity of the situation and the collective responsibility we share in preserving our coastal ecosystems.”
Dr Headifen said in the past few years the Victorian government has implemented bans on some superfluous single use plastic items such as plastic bags in supermarkets, straws, cotton buds, cutlery, plates and drink stirrers.
“While the ban on plastic bags and straws has made a big difference to those items being littered, the other items were not found in significant percentages,” said Dr Headifen.
“However, the BeachPatrol data shows more success could be achieved by considering these other items that are littered in substantial numbers.”
Posted on 23 Jul 2024
A new report has found that community perceptions of charities and community groups are shifting.…
Posted on 23 Jul 2024
The Productivity Commission wants to axe a key tax break for private school donations – but the…
Posted on 23 Jul 2024
Deanna Kyriazopoulos has taken the discipline, sacrifice and structure she learned as an elite…
Posted on 23 Jul 2024
Social enterprise Orange Sky has seen a 21% surge in the number of people using its mobile laundry…
Posted on 23 Jul 2024
Australia’s performance has been labelled ‘poor’ in a global ranking of international aid and…
Posted on 22 Jul 2024
As an associate commissioner with the Productivity Commission, Krystian Seibert played a key role…
Posted on 18 Jul 2024
The federal government has finally made the Productivity Commission report into philanthropy public.
Posted on 18 Jul 2024
The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) has confirmed it has de-registered a…
Posted on 17 Jul 2024
New research has laid bare Australians' vastly differing attitudes towards the community sector.
Posted on 17 Jul 2024
The importance of strong communities has never been more apparent.
Posted on 17 Jul 2024
Charities Minister Andrew Leigh was put on the spot this month in ICDA’s quarterly newscast, the…
Posted on 17 Jul 2024
New research to be released tomorrow has laid bare Australians' vastly differing attitudes towards…