Recycling firm joins in with cleaning beaches
A JOINT initiative between La Societe Guernesiasie and the Guernsey Recycling Group saw the first of several beach cleans taking place on Saturday.
About 25 islanders headed to Portelet Bay, were given bags and litter pickers and set about clearing the beach of rubbish.
GRG ISO and projects officer Frances Browning said that plastic was was a big issue in the island, but on previous beach cleans it had not been possible for the collectors to sort all the items and they ended up in landfill.
GRG operates Mayside and Island Waste and so would be able to process the rubbish found.
‘What it’s really important is that the rubbish we find we will then recycle it rather than it going back into landfill,’ said Miss Browning.
‘Considering the weather today it’s been a very good turn-out.’
She said that if any items were found that could not be recycled, such as black plastic, it would be turned into refuse derived fuel.
La Societe’s Laura Bampton was one of those who had organised previous clean-ups and said the group was glad of GRG’s involvement.
‘It’s made my job so much easier,’ she said, adding that she was pleased the items collected
As well as being recycled, Miss Bampton said all the waste collected would be weighed by GRG which would provide useful information about the amount of rubbish washed up on island shores as well as providing an idea of trends.
The aim is to report back about the waste removed from the beaches at the end of this year.
n There are 11 more clean-ups set to take place this year, with the next one being at Belle Greve on 31 March, meeting at 1.30pm in the car park opposite the TV and radio studios.
