CUTW 12th Gibraltar participation!
19th September 2016
The Environmental Safety Group will be co-ordinating a Gibraltar wide clean up next weekend as part of the global, UNESCO-supported, Clean up the World Campaign. The key date is the 24th September.
Over 20 teams will be in action locally both during the week and over the weekend raising awareness about littered areas and cleaning up different corners of our homeland.
We start the week with an awareness raising stall and activity at Casemates on Tuesday 20th from 10.30am to 3.00pm. Displays on the upcoming Clean up as well as information on the campaign’s aims and objectives will feature. It is always impressive to see how this campaign galvanises our community and enables challenging sites to be tackled by pulling together volunteers and resources.
The clean up will tackle green spaces and coastlines, underwater sites and various hotspots. A harbour clean up is also planned.
New to this years’ campaign, and a long held clean–up objective, is the planned removal of a massive steel drum lodged ashore at Seven Sisters. Our volunteers will clear this site of marine flotsam and GibDock will be tackling the challenging removal of the large steel object.
This site is now a designated marine reserve and managed by the Department of the Environment and Climate Change with ongoing programmes such as the replenishment of flora and fauna, litter surveys and the promotion of existing biodiversity with their underwater camera. The removal of all waste, including the large drum, will therefore greatly enhance the area. CUTW Gibraltar is very pleased to be able to contribute to these efforts.
Rosia Bay seabed and pier will also see a great effort this year as many local divers get involved to remove harmful waste from this marine rich environment.
Our “island” environment means loose litter threatens marine life – we need to do our bit to better contain our waste. Our campaign will highlight these problems, which form part of global efforts to eliminate plastics from our oceans.
With education, enforcement and facilities being central to the Clean up Campaign, this hands-on action will demonstrate that while improvements are slowly being achieved, there is still some way to go before we have won the battle on littering and fly tipping and improving our waste management systems.
The ESG would like to thank everyone who helps make the clean up possible – it couldn’t happen without your support.
If you want to volunteer and join a team you need to register asap – please don’t leave it till the last moment – thanks- email esg@gibtelecom.net
