FRIENDS OF EDWARDES LAKE STEPS UP TO CLEAN UP

Words and photos by Kate Jost

On Sunday the 5th March the Friends of Edwardes Lake hosted the annual Clean Up Australia litter collection at Edwardes Lake and Edgars Creek Wetlands.

During the course of the event over 40 community members rolled up their sleeves to remove litter from the waterway while the Reservoir Lions cooked a BBQ for the volunteers, as a thank you for their efforts.

The volunteers collected an epic

11,851 pieces of the litter from the creek, surrounding roads and the park itself. Some of the litter included 204 plastic bottles, 20 glass bottles, 180 pieces of broken glass, 122 cans, 10 balls, 91 takeaway cups, 6000 pieces of soft plastics, 2000 pieces of paper and cardboard, 85 takeaway cup lids, 140 straws, 25 cutlery items, 50 food items, 1 100L oil drum, 1 car oil filter, 1 roll of carpet, 3 tyres, 1 headless teddy bear and it’s roughly 1600 pieces of its stuffing, 2 chairs, 1 light fitting, 1 polystyrene box, 12 pieces of polystyrene, 1 milk crate, 2 coat hangers, 3 shoes, 15 pieces of clothing, 15 juice boxes, 1 pillow, 6 pieces of wood, 215 bottle tops, 1 wine glass, 1 teapot, 2 soiled nappies, 1 cable reel, 3 corks, 8 vapes, 8 cigarette packets, 3 hubcaps, 8 nangs, 5 bags of dog poo, 50 lollipop sticks, 1 eye curler, 1 piece of foam, 80 cable ties, 650 cigarette butts, 20 markers, 1 pencil case and 200 pieces of broken tile dumped in the wetlands.

Over 11,000 individual pieces of litter is shocking considering that volunteers from Friends of Edwardes Lake collect litter in the area on their daily walks. This is why collecting litter and reducing waste cannot be saved for an annual environmental day like Clean Up Australia Day, instead it must be part of everyone’s daily practice.

Every piece of litter that has dropped either intentionally or by accident, if not collected, will make its way into our stormwater system or into a creek and make its way into the ocean. Edwardes Lake and Edgars Creek are part of the Merri Creek catchment which connects to the Yarra River and then out to the Port Phillip bay.

Not only is litter unsightly, a form of pollution, a health hazard, smelly and forever breaking down into smaller pieces creating micro plastics, it is also dangerous to our native wildlife. Often wildlife mistakes litter for food which then enters their digestive system and in most cases causes blockages in their bodies, leading the wildlife to starve. Litter is also a cause of entanglement for wildlife, potentially leaving the animal trapped, unable to eat and vulnerable. The creek and surrounding areas are home to wildlife and they are currently living in our litter.

While this may seem like a problem that is too big for any one person to solve, if we come together as a united and empowered community that is committed to fixing, conserving and protecting our local creeks, we can create a bright and sustainable future for not only ourselves, but nature too.

That commitment can start todaysimply pledge to pick litter up and dispose of it correctly in a bin. When you go out for a walk, take a bag and a pair of gloves so you can collect litter as you see it. When you’re doing the weekly shop take a moment to think where the packaging is going to end up after you have consumed its contents.

Reservoir, we can do this, let's step up to clean up.