From the desk of Jimena, South Coast Enviro-Experiences. 

Our incredible Esperance community recently came together for a series of beach cleanups, making such a positive impact on our beautiful coastline. 

With the extraordinary support of Southern Ports, Eesperance Tjaljaraak, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and Tangaroa Blue, our South Coast Enviro-Experience’s project Officer, Jimena, joined dedicated volunteers to scour Dolphins Beach shoreline and uncover the shocking reality of microplastic pollution. Despite the pristine appearance, we discovered an alarming amount of tiny plastic particles lurking beneath the surface, including the lentil-sized pre-production plastic pellets commonly known as nurdles. They can be made of polyethylene, polypropylene or other plastics, and are released into the environment when shipped around the world as raw material for factories. They are often mistaken by food by seabirds, fish and other wildlife and they carry dangerous pollutants and toxins that adhere to their surface. They fragment into nano particles and are the second largest source of micropollutants in the ocean by weight, with 230,000 tonnes of nurdles entering the oceans every year! 

A massive shoutout to everyone who joined forces to make a difference, thank you for your effort and support. It is time to reassess our plastic consumption and realise that no matter where we are in the world, we are all contributing to this problem. If you would like to make a difference and be part of the solution, register on our online volunteer platform to discover a variety of opportunities that match your interests and availability, there is something for everyone!