Over 2000 lbs of trash collected during Coastal Cleanup

In excess of 909 kilograms (2000 pounds) of garbage have been collected from the coastland as Guyana successfully participated in the worldwide observation of the 33rd Annual International Coastal Cleanup.
In collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Caribbean Youth Environmental Network (CYEN-Guyana), a series of activities were organised and executed which allowed Guyanese to partake in the campaign to clean the environment and gather information about the coastal ecosystem. The event saw approximately 300 volunteers from organisations and schools, joining efforts to collect and record coastal debris. The clean-ups were conducted at the Kingston Seawall and Number 63 Beach over the past four weeks.
“This data is crucial as it will be processed and used to inform policymakers on developing measures to protect our coast and marine ecosystems. Additionally, it will be forwarded to Ocean Conservancy, who spearheads the event, to be published in an annual global Report on Marine Debris.
Among the trash collected were numerous plastic and glass bottles, tyres, cigarette butts and tins,” a release by the EPA stated. Other groups also coordinated campaigns in Linden and other sections of Georgetown. International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort to clean the coast, and the EPA indicated that it was grateful to have provided meaningful support to the participating organisations.
The Agency, in partnership with CYEN, also engaged in a rigorous campaign targeting 14 schools in Georgetown and Berbice along with the University of Guyana’s Tain Campus. These sessions were aimed at raising awareness on the importance of the clean-up exercise.
The organisation indicated that it was hopeful that future clean-ups would see a reduction in the amount of debris collected as an indication of positive behavioural change towards the environment. The data analysis once completed will be made available to the public.