Since its inception back in 2002, the team from Sea Cleaners has removed over five million litres of rubbish from the waters around New Zealand – mostly from Auckland’s two harbours. And since 2015, Ray White Damerell Group has done its bit for the environment and our local community by organising the annual Cox’s Bay Clean Up.

In 2018, almost a hundred volunteers – including the students from two local schools and the Sea Scouts – helped collect and remove rubbish from beautiful Cox’s Bay. With significantly less rubbish collected than in years gone by, it went to show that efforts over previous campaigns have begun to have a positive effect on this part of Auckland’s coastline.

Gower Buchanan, Ray White Damerell Group’s director says it’s vitally important that we keep our oceans free from the everyday waste we throw away – especially plastic. “The problem with plastic, is that it lasts forever and doesn’t biodegrade, so it’s inside all the crabs and the creatures that live and feed in the mud, and in all the fish that feed on them, which means it ends up in us, too.”

“We’ve been working in this area for well over 20 years now, and this will be the fifth year we’ve been involved in the Cox’s Bay Clean Up. Every year we get great support from local people and the local schools, and also from the Hawke Sea Scouts. As a consequence we’re seeing less and less plastic, and Cox’s Bay has benefitted because of our efforts.”

In the greater scheme of things, this may only be a small event, but every piece of plastic that’s prevented from entering the sea is also prevented from entering our own food chain. Think about it.

So, put the date in your diary, grab your gumboots (and your family), and come and join the team at Ray White Damerell at this year’s Cox’s Bay Clean Up.

Cox’s Bay Clean Up 2020

When: Sunday, March 1st 2020
Where: Cox’s Bay Car Park
Contact: 09 376 2186 or reception.ponsonby.nz@raywhite.com for more information.

What Can You Do To Help?

• Start by saying no to plastic. Try to reduce your personal consumption of plastic by using alternatives to plastic bags at the supermarket. Also, think about the packaging of the products you purchase. Drink bottles a classic example. From the ocean’s perspective glass and aluminium are OK.
• Just because it’s labelled recyclable doesn’t automatically make it ocean friendly. Anything that’s plastic has a negative impact on the ocean – plastic is not biodegradable.
• One habit everyone should get into is to pick up just one piece of rubbish a day and dispose of it responsibly. Think about it – that’s 4.5 million pieces of rubbish per day that won’t end up in the ocean.