Sustainable Coastlines - Beach Clean Up Day

This October, the Ecotricity team joined forces with Sustainable Coastlines for an inspiring beach cleanup at Point England Beach in Auckland. We spent a day working alongside this passionate environmental group to help restore one of our local coastal gems, and the results were truly impactful. Together, in about an hour, we collected 220L of litter, weighing 60 kg—that’s a significant amount of waste no longer polluting the beach. During the survey, we identified 97 items per 1000m², giving us a clear picture of the state of litter in this area. Check out the litter intelligence survey details here.

The litter we gathered primarily consisted of plastic, glass and ceramics, with smaller quantities of metal, paper and cardboard also present. Unfortunately, plastic remains one of the most prevalent threats to our oceans and ecosystems, so every piece removed felt like a win for the environment.

Partnering with Sustainable Coastlines made this experience even more rewarding. This wonderful New Zealand-based charity is on a mission to inspire and enable people to look after the coastlines and waterways that we love. Their dedication to beach cleanups, community education, and environmental protection aligns perfectly with our own goals at Ecotricity. Sustainable Coastlines makes it easy for anyone to get involved, offering regular beach cleanup days across the country. If you’re passionate about protecting Aotearoa’s natural beauty, consider signing up for one of their upcoming beach cleanups—it’s a hands-on way to make a difference and spend a day outdoors helping the planet.

Our day at Point England Beach was a reminder of the collective power we have to protect the environment. We’re proud to do our part and encourage everyone to get involved in local efforts to keep New Zealand’s beaches clean and thriving. You can learn more about Sustainable Coastlines and how to join their initiatives here.

Keep an eye out for our beach clean up video, coming soon to our YouTube channel.

Some interesting information about litter in New Zealand, the current top 10 litter types found on NZ beaches are:

1. Unidentifiable hard plastic fragments

2. Glass or ceramic fragments

3. Food wrappers
4. Unidentifiable soft plastic fragments

5. Polystyrene insulation or packaging

6. Bottle caps & lids

7. Rope

8. Cigarette butts & filters

9. Processed timber & pallet crates

10. Construction material

These change over time as more litter intelligence surveys are carried out, for more information visit this page.