Beach clean up

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 17 Sep 2005, 11:41

Good turnout from the Woodcraft Folk despite the poor weather. Photos to follow. Meantime, here's some audio clips:

Maureen Child

Jane Lewis and Saul

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 18 Sep 2005, 14:36

Beach survey stats:

Total number of volunteers: 51
Total weight of trash collected: 13.8 Kilos
Very approx. area coverered: 150 sq. mtrs.
Number of individual items collected:

Bags: 13
Drink bottles: 8
Toiletries: 6
Caps / lids: 75
Cigarette lighters: 2
Fishing Net: 1
Industrial Packaging: 1
Pens: 3
Rope: 2
Toys: 5
Plastic pieces <1cm: 139
Plastic pieces > 1 - 50cm: 107
Other > 50cm: 35
Fast food containers: 6
Foam / sponge: 1
Polystyrene pieces <50cm: 21
Balloons: 13
Gloves: 1
Rubber pieces <50cm: 1
Bottle caps: 22
Drink cans: 7
Foil wrappers: 7
Metal pieces: 6
Cotton bud sticks: 101
Animal faeces: 9
Cigarette stubs: 683
Ice lolly sticks: 27
Chip forks: 35
Glass pieces: 103
Pottery ceramics: 29

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 18 Sep 2005, 14:44

Bob Jefferson wrote:Beach survey stats:

............Cotton bud sticks: 101
Animal faeces: 9
Cigarette stubs: 683
Ice lolly sticks: 27
.........

Er, nice way to spend your Friday nights Bob....."counting animal faeces

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 18 Sep 2005, 14:54

Did the 'toiletries' include 'bits of rope off ships'??

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 18 Sep 2005, 15:21

bearcub wrote:
Bob Jefferson wrote:Beach survey stats:

............Cotton bud sticks: 101
Animal faeces: 9
Cigarette stubs: 683
Ice lolly sticks: 27
.........
Er, nice way to spend your Friday nights Bob....."counting animal faeces

I'm not sure how accurate that figure is. I certainly wasn't prepared to remove said faeces and it's possible that 3 separate groups counted the same 3 faeces, for example.

I was walking up Bath Street with Emily (4) the other day and as usual we had to dodge between the dog foulings.

"Daddy, why do some people poo on the pavement?" she asked.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 18 Sep 2005, 15:23

Epykat wrote:Did the 'toiletries' include 'bits of rope off ships'??

I was paired with Maureen and we didn't discuss that sort of thing.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 18 Sep 2005, 15:28

And if you Google the phrase 'bits of rope off ships' you will discover that your mother is the only person who has ever used this expression in the entire history of the world (or the world wide web at any rate).

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 18 Sep 2005, 15:58

Bob Jefferson wrote:
Epykat wrote:Did the 'toiletries' include 'bits of rope off ships'??
I was paired with Maureen and we didn't discuss that sort of thing.

Not like Charles and Camilla then?

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 18 Sep 2005, 16:02

Bob Jefferson wrote:And if you Google the phrase 'bits of rope off ships' you will discover that your mother is the only person who has ever used this expression in the entire history of the world (or the world wide web at any rate).

Yep, my mother had lots of firsts!!

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 18 Sep 2005, 17:31

Marya wrote:
Bob Jefferson wrote:
Epykat wrote:Did the 'toiletries' include 'bits of rope off ships'??
I was paired with Maureen and we didn't discuss that sort of thing.
Not like Charles and Camilla then?

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 22 Sep 2005, 21:07

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 27 Sep 2005, 13:29

From Maureen Child's most recent report to the Community Council:

I was glad to take an hour out on Saturday - despite the rain - to help the local Woodcraft Folk in the beach survey of the kinds of litter washed up and left on Portobello Beach. We all combed the strand line between the end of Bath Street and the next groyne eastwards. This was part of the national survey by the Marine Conservation Society - www.mcsuk.org which will publish the overall results.

Bob Jefferson and I gave up counting cigarette ends when we found at least 35 per square meter. Some people don't seem to reckon cigarette ends are real litter, but the Council's Keep Edinburgh Clean campaign is beginning to get through, backed by Â£50 fines. I read recently that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts end up as litter every year, polluting land and water for two to 25 years before they biodegrade. Apparently, there's even a web site called - www.nobuttsaboutit.net - believe it or not.