The crew of the MV Phil Warren keep a daily log of the amount of litter collected from the harbour areas. Most of the litter is collected close to the shore in estuaries, inlets and creeks.
The table below itemises the amount of litter collected from different parts of the Waitemata Harbour categorised by the associated Council:
| Jan-March 08 |
16,750 |
24,800 |
11,150 |
28,600 |
13,850 |
95,150 |
| Total since inception |
326,268 |
200,684 |
208,378 |
283,463 |
214,770 |
1,233,563 |
Where does all the litter come from?
If you leave your empty soda drink bottle or plastic cutlery at the park after your picnic, there’s a good chance you’ll be swimming in it soon!
Plastic bottles, drink caps and plastic bags which get washed down storm water drains or blown into the sea are the most common litter items found in the harbour. These materials are often tossed out of vehicles; blown onto the road; or simply dumped.
Polystyrene from building construction sites is another harbour nasty. This type of rubbish usually comes from commercial and industrial sites near waterways or from unsecured rubbish loads on trucks and other vehicles.
What you drop on the ground ends up in our waterways!
