Stop the Plastic Soup

The Whau River Catchment Trust works towards healthier streams along the Whau river through community participation and kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection). We deliver a wide range of community-based environmental projects focusing on ecological restoration and conservation, principally in collaboration with Auckland Council and other key stakeholders within the catchment.

Stop the Plastic Soup project is aiming to stem the flow of rubbish into our harbour which forms massive plastic soups in our seas. Each year, 1 million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed by rubbish at sea. In some cases, the animals mistake the rubbish for food and the rubbish fills their stomachs, sadly causing death by starvation. Other types of rubbish cause death or injury in other ways.

You and/or your team will be helping to prevent this happening by stemming the tide of waste. You will be getting into the riverbanks and mangrove edge and pulling out any rubbish items - from shopping trolleys and tyres to small plastic items. This will improve the health of our waterways, making them a healthier place for wildlife and a better place for the community to enjoy.

If you and/or your team would love to work outdoors, come and spend some time removing rubbish from the riverside. It is very rewarding work.

Please note, if you are an individual, you can still register here. We can then put you with a group that best suits your availability. 

By participating in this volunteering opportunity you are helping achieve the following United Nations Sustainability Goals:

Goal 6 - Clean water and sanitation Goal 10 - Reduced inequalities Goal 11 - Sustainable cities and communities Goal 14 - Life below water Goal 15 - Life on land