Batemans Bay hosted the Eurobodalla’s first Seaside Scavenge on Saturday, July 7.
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Seaside Scavenge is a waterway clean-up and clothes swap event where litter collected becomes currency to purchase quality pre-loved clothes, books and bric-a-brac donated by the local community.
For every 10 pieces of litter collected participants are rewarded with a token to use in the pop-up riverside market.
Eurobodalla Shire Council’s environment education officer Bernadette Davis said the event was a great success.
“For the council it’s a great initiative to get the community involved,” she said.
“It was a fantastic day – it was great to see so many new faces and lots of families. It’s a win-win for the Clyde (river).”
There was more to the scavenge than just a day out and tidy of the foreshore.
Participants sorted and catalogued data for the Australian Marine Debris Database alongside volunteers from Eurobodalla Marine Debris Working Group and youth environmental group, Eurobodalla Young Legends.
“When looking at marine debris it’s all about data so we can track it back to its source,” Ms Davis said.
“What we’re finding in the Clyde is a lot of single use plastics. We get a report on Monday and then we will work with local businesses to remove single-use plastics.
“There was a lot of work done behind the scenes. We’re trying to help the community decrease their reliance on single use plastics.”
The biggest culprit was also one of the smallest.
“Cigarette butts are definitely an issue – it was pretty horrendous,” Ms Davis said.
“People don’t worry about them because they’re small, but they’re not made of a natural fibre, they’re plastic, and really toxic.”