Boskalis Beach Clean Up 2019: 11.5 km, 312 kg of waste
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Photo by Stichting De Noordzee on flickr
WASSENAAR, The Netherlands — JASCO Europe took part in the Boskalis Beach Clean Up on 13 August in Wassenaar, organized by the Dutch North Sea Foundation. Rotterdam based JASCO scientist Federica Pace walked 11.5 km along the beach with 60 other participants, among them several representatives from the maritime industry, contributing to clearing the beach and dunes of 312 kg of waste that included a great many plastic straws and strands of fishing nets.
Beginning in 2013, this yearly event supports the North Sea Foundation’s efforts to advocate for good waste management at sea and in ports and the prevention of litter by visitors. Each year, specific focus is given to reporting the presence of certain waste items; this year’s focus was on balloons, plastic straws and plastic cutlery. These items are stored separately and a yearly report is prepared by the North Sea Foundation. Findings from previous reports include (source):
An average of 370 pieces of waste are found on each 100 meters of beach
No significant decline in waste has been observed over the past 14 years
Most of the waste (90 percent) consists of plastic
Over half the waste on the monitored beaches comes from the fishing and shipping sectors
And 21 September is World Clean Up Day. Learn more at Plastic Soup Foundation.
