South Coast Clean-Up Day

Kangaroo Island's biggest "Clean-Up" event to date was held in conjunction with World Environment Day on Tuesday the 5th June 2007.  The event involved scouring over 55 kilometres of roadside vegetation for litter and rubbish along the "South Coast Road" one of Kangaroo Islands popular roads linking Seal Bay Conservation Park and Flinders Chase National Park.  

Over 75 Volunteers from a range of groups attended the day cleaning up one of the Island’s major road’s, collecting over 1.7 tonnes of rubbish.  The rubbish was collected and audited by the Kangaroo Island Council and over 82% of it was recycled!

The breakdown of the collection is:

• plastic bags 5kg;
• plastic bottles and containers 33kg;
• mixed plastics 216kg;
• foam pieces 14kg;
• alcoholic beverage bottles 350kg;
• other glass bottles 40kg;
• food jars 13kg;
• alcoholic beverage cans 50kg;
• soft drink cans 20kg;
• tyres 193kg;
• paper/cardboard 169kg;
• metal pieces 165kg;
• wood 135kg;
• clothing/textiles 90kg (non-recyclable);
• landfill/waste 223kg (non-recyclable).

A very wide range of people, businesses and organisations were involved in organising the day led by TOMM and Tourism Kangaroo Island.  Local business got on board to assist in sponsoring the event in a range of ways, including supply of refreshments, personal safety gear and cash donations.

Sponsors included Bank SA, Great Southern Plantations, SeaLink, Vivonne Bay Outdoor Education Centre, The Islander and Tourism Kangaroo Island, with the support of APT, Exceptional Kangaroo Island, Kildea Chemist, Chase Cafe, Galipo Foods, Kangaroo Island Seafront, Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat, Island Foods, Ozone Seafront Hotel, Mitre 10, Western KI Caravan Park and Kangaroo Island Council.

The Event finished with a celebration at the Vivonne Bay Outdoor Education Centre, with an official weigh-in, the launch of the Sea Lion Research Fund by Nature Foundation SA and a BBQ for all participants providing the opportunity to mingle and celebrate the day's achievements.