Shining sun and a little wind blowing gently across the harbour set the scene for a great afternoon with the OCS team collecting trash on Motutapu Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.

88 OCS folk and four Sustainable Coastlines crew spread out around the coastline, some by foot, some ferrying by kayak with a hand from the Watercare Harbour Clean-up Trust boat Phil Warren. Unfortunately Motutapu is like many of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, with its shores suffering from a heavy build up of marine debris, the majority originating from Auckland’s storm water drains.

The OCS team were delivered an educational presentation earlier in the day, so when they got out on the coastline, everyone got stuck in and together managed to pick up 2,480 litres of rubbish in just over an hour, which equates to over ten large curbside wheelie bins!

During the short journey back to Auckland, a celebratory beverage and discussions over who found the most rubbish and the most interesting pieces ensured everyone had a great trip out on the coast.

After intensive data collection of the rubbish, the usual suspects were found, including food wrappers, bottle caps and lids, plastic bottles, plastic bags, rope and polystyrene foam.