The Mulinu'u peninsular area was the target of a major coastal clean-up last Saturday to mark International Coastal Clean-up Day 2023.

Members of the Samoa Conservation Society (SCS) joined forces with the Samoa Recycling and Waste Management Association (SRWMA) and the Phoenix Netball Club to remove the coastline of rubbish which has continued to affect the marine ecosystem.

With financial support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) – through its Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP) and the Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP) as well as assistance from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment – members of the three organisations did a thorough cleanup of the sea wall and the Mulinu'u peninsular area. 

The S.C.S. threatened plant conservation coordinator, Aloma Black, said that the SDCS, SRWMA and Phoenix Netball Club all reached out to their members and partners and invited them to support their efforts as part of the International Coastal Cleanup Day 2023.

She said they were all so supportive when approached and wanted to do good for Samoa and the country's environment.

“We had sports teams, business groups, fellow colleagues from other environmental organisations, village community members, and more, as keen volunteers for International Coastal Clean-up Day 2023,” said Ms. Black. “I’m sure it shocked some people just how much rubbish there was along the seawall

"And I hope all our participants on Saturday went away reevaluating their consumption habits and making different choices when it comes to buying new items and disposing of their rubbish. 

“We really want to stress that we don’t need a special day or event to pick up rubbish, we can keep Samoa clean and beautiful any day of the week, month, or year. 

"We want our people to take pride in our country and that includes disposing of our waste properly, or picking up after others who haven’t done so."

According to the local non-government organisation, the International Coastal Clean-up Day is a global call to action that underscores the critical need to protect our planet’s coastlines. This was a collective effort that not only rejuvenates the beauty of our coast and beaches but also safeguards the fragile ecosystems that thrive along the coast. 

By participating in this year's International Coastal Clean-up Day, we contribute to cleaner oceans, healthier marine life and a sustainable future for generations to come. The waste from these zones will be separated into specific material categories and audited. The plastics will be separated from the glass, metals, textiles, and so forth. 

The waste then gets separated further into their sub-categories. Plastic bottles will be separated from their plastic bottle lids, and those lids will be separated from their plastic bottle rings. Plastic food wrappers will be separated from plastic bags, straws and utensils. The materials will each be weighed and uploaded into the online platform ‘Litter Intelligence’. 

This online database collates data from all around the globe and provides insights into how litter is distributed along coastlines.