Conservationist walks the talk cleaning beaches of plastic

Wednesday, 23 October 2019

Conservationist Katie Sinclair 'walks the talk' when it comes to collecting rubbish off beaches.

Katie Sinclair can spot a piece of roadside plastic while driving.

And when she does Sinclair oftens stops, picks it up and stashes it in a bag she keeps in her car boot.

'I've just developed a really good eye to seeing plastic waste anywhere,' she said.

Environment award winner Katie Sinclair says she has developed an eye for spotting micro plastic rubbish on beaches and beside roadways.

The 18-year-old Royal New Zealand Air Force logistics recruit recently won a Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Award for action in the community.

'I was really surprised I won it and I didn't think I was being considered,' she said.

Environment award winner Katie Sinclair, 18, is a conservationist who has been organising regular beach cleanups at Middleton's Bay, Opunake.

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Sinclair was recognised as an enthusiastic advocate for the coastal environment by the judging panel.

Last year she organised and conducted beach clean-ups around her home town of Opunake after seeing a promotion for United States environmental group Four Oceans.

Sinclair organised a Facebook page titled Healthy Oceanz under the Young Enterprise Scheme to gather support from the community and clean up Opunake Beach of plastic rubbish.

The social media link developed into a 'plogging' and 'plalking' network for people to continue picking up rubbish.

'There was a slow build up but it has really picked up.

'At our first beach clean up we got 30 people to collect 300 pieces of plastic, the maximum we have had is 3000 pieces,' she said.

While discarded plastic bottles are the easiest to spot, micro plastic is the most harmful, she said.

'When you walk along the shoreline you get plastic bottles, and packaging of all sorts washed up on the tide line.

'It hurts the back bending down and picking it up, but it is rewarding.'

Sinclair admitted she did not know a lot about plastic recycling when she started.

'I just wanted to do something for the community,' she said.

Sinclair's own plastic use is almost nil.

'I try as much as possible not to use plastic-made products, and always try to find an alternative like bamboo, or wooden toothbrushes.'

Sinclair also avoids 'fast fashion' and preferred to hunt for clothes in community second hand stores.

'I prefer sustainable shopping compared to buying new clothes,' she said.

The community support for her crusade has been positive, she said.

'I get people coming up to me in the street to support what I'm doing.

'Only a few were non-supportive and told me it wasn't going to work.'

Sinclair is currently training at Woodbourne Base as she completes entry requirements for the RNZAF.

She intends to return to Opunake over summer and spend more time helping clean up the beach of plastic.