Media release 9 February, 2007

Illegal trashing of regional NSW targeted in Clean Up Day campaign

Communities across regional NSW are being urged to help reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions through greater recycling and take action to stop illegal rubbish dumping as part of the Clean Up Australia Day campaign.

In Queens Lake National Park south of Port Macquarie, where 110 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish was found last year, Clean Up Australia Chairman Ian Kiernan AO today launched the 18th Clean Up Australia Day campaign and also released the results of the 2006 Rubbish Report.

Parks and water fronts in NSW were found to be the most polluted sites on Clean Up Australia Day last year, Mr Kiernan announced. The 2006 Rubbish Report also found cigarette butts were the most common rubbish item found.

“It is disappointing to see a pattern emerging of cigarette butts being dumped in increasingly larger numbers. Cigarette butts contain a cocktail of toxins that leach into the environment and cause widespread damage.”

Mr Kiernan also warned of a growing problem of illegal dumping across regional NSW.

“Last year, 110 tonnes of rubbish was collected in Queens Lake National Park, which is alarming. Old cars, tyres, mattresses, fridges as well as hazardous waste was removed but it indicates a growing problem of illegal dumping and communities across regional NSW need to be vigilant.”

Clean Up Australia Day sponsors McDonald’s Australia and Veolia Environmental Services backed Mr Kiernan’s call for regional NSW to take action to recycle and reuse waste.
 
Clean Up Australia is targeting one million Australians to get involved this year and the involvement of regional communities across the state is critical to achieving this.

“Last year NSW had over 300,000 people volunteering at more than 3000 sites.  This year we need 500,000 people from regional NSW to get involved and help to meet our national target of one million,” Mr Kiernan said.

Clean Up Australia Day will take place on 4 March 2007. You can get involved by visiting www.cleanup.org.au or calling 1 800 CUA DAY (1800 282 329).

For more information contact Patrick McEntee 0428 533 019, Gemma Swart 0414 873 291.


2006 NSW RUBBISH REPORT
Top 5 Rubbish Items collected in 2006 (with % of total rubbish found in NSW)

1. Cigarette Butts
2. Plastic chips and confectionary bags
3. Glass alcoholic beverage bottles
4. Plastic bottle caps/lids
5. Plastic bottles and PET

Top 5 most polluted sites in 2006:

1. Parks/waterfront
2. Beach/coastal
3. Other
4. Roadways
5. Public Bushland

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY NSW STATISTICS
3059 Registered sites in 2006.

307,923 volunteers took part in NSW Clean Up Australia Day in 2006.

3,670,800 kgs / 3671 tonnes of waste collected, enough to fill 734 skip bins.

NSW residents spent 677, 431 hours, 28, 336 days or 77 years volunteering on Clean Up Australia Day 2006.

Since 1990 volunteers across Australia have collected over 200,000 tonnes of rubbish, that’s 4.7 million household wheelie bins.