“One Day, Will We Be Walking On Plastic Sand?”

Rubbish and plastics can range from the tinies coil of nylon fishing line to the metres of thick marine rope. This pile of rubbish was found on Forrest Beach by residents. Photo credit: Victoria Velton

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Forrest Beach locals are doing their bit to keep the popular coastline clean, with a recent online conversation highlighting how many beachcombers are now regularly picking up plastic and other rubbish washed in by the tide.

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For some, it has become part of their regular beach walk, with one local saying they often fill a pocket with pieces of plastic they find along the sand.

“I quite often go for the little, tiny pieces as they are easily swallowed by our marine life, but also pick up the chunky bits,” one resident commented.

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Others shared their own experiences of helping to keep Forrest Beach clean, with another resident remembering the old saying, “three for the sea”, an initiative asking beachgoers to collect and dispose of at least three items of trash whenever they leave the shore.

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“These days it is more like 30,” the resident said.

The problem is not limited to the obvious rubbish. Though larger pieces pose a danger through choking, entanglement and restricting movement, smaller plastics can build up in animals over time.

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Locals have pointed to tiny fragments, some no bigger than grains of salt, which can be easily swallowed by marine wildlife.

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One local said the ongoing challenge of plastic washed in with the tide makes beach clean-up a “never-ending job”.

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Forrest Beach residents are encouraging others to pick up what they can when they are at the beach or along any waterway, whether it is one piece or a pocketful, and help keep the coastline beautiful for both the community and its wildlife.

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