A regular beach rubbish survey on the West Coast is revealing low levels of rubbish on the region's beaches compared to other parts of the country.
Marine ranger Don Neale has been running surveys at West Coast marine reserves since 2022, to measure the impact rubbish is having in our marine environment over time.
Don says there is more rubbish in the sites he monitors which are closer to townships and settlements, but overall, the rates of rubbish are pretty low compared to other parts of the country.
"In a 20 m by 100 m plot we typically find less than 50 bits of rubbish. That's still quite a lot for a remote bit of coast, but in some other parts of the country they are finding hundreds of rubbish items.
"This monitoring is in conjunction with Sustainable Coastlines, an organisation supporting citizen science efforts to understand the impact of rubbish around Aotearoa. Anyone can get involved - some West Coast schools are also taking part by monitoring rubbish on their nearby beaches."
Insights from Sustainable Coastlines' 'Litter Intelligence' monitoring is sparking real change. Don says a manufacturer in the North Island started using cork spacers instead of plastic after waste specific to their manufacturing plant became a common fixture in the rubbish found. Sustainable Coastlines uses the survey data to advocate for clean coasts.
Helen Adams-Blackburn, Sustainable Coastlines Communications manager, says while the West Coast sees the lowest regional litter density, there's still an issue to tackle.
"Obviously population has a big impact on how much litter we see, as do currents and the geography of the coastline. Regardless of what makes its way to the beach, everyone can still protect our ocean and wider environment by finding alternatives to plastics in their daily lives and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill."
Don says at West Coast sites quite a bit of bale wrap is found, amongst other plastic rubbish. "This tells us these materials aren't making it into the recycling or suitable places for waste disposal. It's a reminder people need to take steps to reduce the rubbish they create and dispose of it thoughtfully.
"Plastic rubbish is a particular problem because it doesn't break down in the environment. Wildlife might eat it or become entangled in it; it contaminates food and water and enters the food chain. People can always be naturing by limiting the amount of plastic waste they create and making sure it finds the recycling or waste bin. Everybody has a part to play."
Background information
Learn more about the work of Litter Intelligence.
Litter density (items per 1,000 m 2) by region. All time–31 March 2025.
Wellington: 558
Auckland: 416
Hawke's Bay: 317
Canterbury: 275
Marlborough: 242
Tasman–Nelson: 248
Northland: 222
Otago: 208
Waikato: 163
Southland: 123
Taranaki: 113
Bay of Plenty: 107
Manawatu–Wanganui: 82
Gisborne: 74
West Coast: 27
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