Key takeaways
Improper waste management practices
Most of the collected waste along the shoreline was food containers discarded by beachgoers. Cigarette butts were also predominantly discarded along the roadside. The designated waste bins were found overflowing with waste. These improper waste management practices of the people compound the marine plastic waste problem.
The most recent initiative undertaken by the Eco-Warrior Guide was a beach cleaning campaign, which saw active participation from students, teachers, and staff of Ma’had Islam Brunei. This project was driven by fundamental objectives aimed at (1) cleaning the beach by diligently removing the debris deposited along the shoreline, and (2) engaging the school community in fostering awareness regarding plastic pollution and its detrimental effects on the environment.
The beach cleaning campaign on January 31, 2024, at Seri Kenangan Beach in the Tutong District. Situated about 5 kilomers from the school, the journey to the beach took approximately 6-7 minutes by van. The campaign, which began at 8AM became a full one hour filled with impactful work. Participants covered an approximate distance of 1 kilometer during the cleanup, leaving the beach plastic-free. Within this span, volunteers successfully gathered 13 bags of trash, with a total weight of 43.78 kilograms.
The beach clean-up had participation from 45 individuals, a number influenced by the ongoing school holiday and prior engagements. Despite the modest turnout, their efforts were notably impactful. These individuals diligently cleared the beach, accumulating 43.78 kilograms of collected waste. This underscores the notion that even a small campaign such as this can yield meaningful results.
This is the second beach cleaning campaign after the first one was done in August. The team were able to note and compare their observations regarding the unsustainable and improper waste management practices concerning the public use of spaces such as this public beach. This time, the team noted the following:
1. Most of the plastic debris was concentrated along the area between the nearby road and the coastline.
2. The discarded items consisted of plastic bottles, straws, cigarette boxes, cigarette butts, beverage containers, snack packaging, fragmented nets, and grass cutter nylon strings.
3. Notably, cigarette butts were frequently found near the roadside.
4. There was a noticeable lack of rubbish bins provided near the picnic huts.
Based on these observations, we surmised that a significant portion of beachgoers going for picnics tend to discard their leftover trash in the designated public bins. However, most of the time, these bins are already overflowing with trash. We noted that more regular waste collection could alleviate this problem. Proper waste disposal among beachgoers would also be
