Streets of Greater Melbourne are the major source of plastics in our Bay (pic: Baykeeper)
The Port Phillip Baykeeper ‘Street to Bay’ litter audits are designed to track plastic pollutants commonly found in Port Phillip Bay to their major source – urban streets connected to the Bay by stormwater drains and waterways. Engaging communities in ‘Street to Bay’ citizen science methods will gather essential evidence to inform local plans to reduce plastic pollution at the source. Consistent data collection will:
- record microplastics that may be missed in large scale clean-ups;
- identify the typical sites common plastic pollutants come from;
- provide evidence for legislative change and local litter strategies.
- confirm if specific litter types have increased or decreased over time.
To track plastic pollution to source, 4 different audit methods have been designed to enable a small team to complete an audit in under an hour in schoolgrounds, on streets, river/creek banks, and on beaches. More information is available PP EcoCentre Street to Bay audits overview
With support from the state government’s Port Phillip Bay Fund, Scouts Victoria Scouts Victoria is mobilising groups to regularly conduct street audits in catchments around the Bay. This is an exciting new initiative to combat plastic pollution. Any schools, businesses and community groups interested in contributing to this innovative regional approach can email baykeeper@ecocentre.com to discuss how they can help.
