First Plastic Free Event!

We are pleased to announce on the 26th August 2019, the SMIRA family picnic was the first plastic free event within the Litter Free Maritime Project. The event team spent a lot of time planning to ensure all their materials were not single use plastics!

Over 200 participants, from families on St Mary’s Island, were asked to make a change and not bring single use plastic items to the event which was held on the Eastern Bund of the Island. Despite the heat lowering the turn out to around 100 people and few dogs, most brought their own items and extra bottles of water for the dogs. All litter was taken home afterwards.

Living River Foundation attended the event with a simple swaps table for those who wanted more advice. At the end of the event, Tanya Ferry from LRF presented Mandy Samrai – Chair of SMIRA and the organising committee, Yvonne Brown, Treasurer of SMIRA and John Tower, the Secretary, with a certificate for their efforts.

The following day members of the community joined Living River Foundation volunteers for one of the periodic clean ups in the area as part of the Litter Free Maritime project. No litter was found linked to the event, most was found around the extremities of the area had been there for some time.