Beached As?

We are happy to report that these large forms washed up on Sharpe’s Beach at Skennars Head, in northern NSW, are not whales. They are water tanks washed out to sea in the flood disaster.

You can’t miss them, can you?

They stand like memorials to plastic pollution. They remind us that the floods devastating northern NSW will have an ongoing impact on the ocean as plastic, chemicals and thousands of other pollutants are washed out to sea in stormwater. This is an ongoing problem around the world as weather events become more extreme.

What can you do about it?

The first and easiest thing to do is to shop carefully: choose items not wrapped in plastic, wherever possible. Recycle whatever you can. Invest in reusable containers and beeswax wraps. Bring your own bags, even for fruit and vegetables.

For those lucky enough to live near the ocean, make a practice of carrying an old shopping bag with you on beach walks. Fill it with plastic and other refuse and dispose of it in council bins.

Want to do more?

Donate to environmental organisations that clean up the oceans, like our friends at Sea Shepherd. Or to Gowings Whale Trust, who are funding the recycling of plastic salvaged from our waterways. You can have some fun when you donate, by purchasing fab merchandise.

100% of all profits from your purchase on Coastbeat Marketplace are returned to the Whale Trust.