Daniel Lim
Some 275 bags of trash weighing up to 1,214 kilogrammes were collected during a monthly Starts From You Beach Clean-Up campaign over the weekend near Jalan Maulana, Belait District.
The event was organised by RYS Entertainment in collaboration with Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP), the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD), Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) and Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) as the first aid team.
It was joined by 270 participants including Village Head of Kampong Lorong Tiga Selatan and Acting Village Head of RPN Lorong Tengah Haji Saidin bin Haji Ibrahim, Penghulu of Mukim Kuala Belait and Acting Village Head of Pekan Kuala Belait Haji Pungut bin Ali, Village Head of Kampong Mumong A and Acting Village Head of Kampong Mumong B Haji Mohd Yusof bin Haji Dulamin and BSP Social Investment Lead Haziq bin Abdullah Lim.
This month’s campaign was held to mark the International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2020, an Ocean Conservancy global initiative observed annually on the third Saturday of September for over 30 years to encourage volunteerism in cleaning and removing washed-up debris from beaches and coasts around the world.
In support of the global cause, volunteers also used Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell app during the campaign to catalogue and record the amount of trash collected to provide the agency with useful data needed to build a snapshot of ocean trash for researchers and policymakers.
RYS Entertainment expressed hope that the public will continue to support the Starts From You Beach Clean-Up initiative as it not only encourages the spirit of volunteerism but also promotes a sense of unity among participants in working towards a common goal – keeping Brunei beaches immaculate.
It also revealed that the next cleaning campaign will be held at Jerudong Beach on October 25.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Panaga Club teamed up with Last Straw to clear the coast of washed up debris and trash in conjunction with the International Coastal Clean-Up Day.
Joined by members of the Panaga Club and Last Straw, six bags of rubbish were collected during the campaign that aimed at promoting the importance of cleanliness in public spaces, especially beaches, to maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Panaga Club said more beach clean-ups are in the pipeline.