Last week first year Marine Science students spent one block picking up garbage from Esquimalt Lagoon and a second block producing artwork from the garbage that was collected.
Back at the lab students sorted and quantified the garbage.
Then they produced pieces of art with their garbage.
And here are some of the results:
One particularly odd item to report, Aurora & Adi found a tin can which was still sealed so they opened it at the beach and it seemed to contain a message – not sure what it means though…
And finally here are the data for all three days (22, 23 and 24 February):
1011 Plastic pieces
957 Styrofoam bits
133 Caps, lids
85 Food wrappers
83 Straws / stirrers
70 Cigarettes / filters
62 Shotgun wads & shells
33 Bags
27 Rope
23 Lighters
22 Tampon applicators
16 Coffee cup lids
16 Lollipop sticks
9 Tobacco packs / wrappers
9 Condoms
9 Papers & paper bags
8 Coffee cups
8 Shoes & shoe pieces
8 Toys
7 Balloons
7 Nurdles
7 Metal pieces
6 Plastic utensils
6 Plastic beverage bottles
6 Combs
5 Glass beverage bottles
5 Beverage cans
5 Pens
5 Dog poop bags (full)
5 Glass pieces
4 Fishing lures
3 Syringes
3 Lottery tickets (not winners!)
2 Six-pack holders
2 Bottle caps
2 Nets
2 Corks
2 Chapsticks
1 Re-useable coffee mug
1 Plastic beverage cup
1 1/2 sunglasses (one eyepiece only!)
1 Firework
1 Light bulb
1 Sponge
1 Ceramics piece
1 Cable tie
1 Plastic band from the back of a cap
1 Screw
1 Dog poop bag (empty)
1 Plastic jar
1 Tennis ball
1 Tea bag
1 Bread tag
1 Book of matches
1 Ear plug
2 m Seat belt webbing
See Flickr page for more photos.
Tags: beach clean-up, Esquimalt Lagoon, garbage, plastic pollution
Pearson College Marine Science 
February 29, 2016 at 10:09 am |
You have to realize that some of this stuff comes from the outfall… I have yet to meet a women who changes her tampon on the beach. Victoria, get your act together…
February 29, 2016 at 10:52 am |
Agreed, Helene! Come on Victoria…
March 1, 2016 at 4:05 am |
I would be interested in finding out what exactly is a Nurdle.
Joceline
March 1, 2016 at 2:32 pm |
Hello Joceline,
A nurdle is a small plastic pellet (about the size of a lentil) which is used as a raw material in the manufacture of plastic products. See https://flic.kr/p/EA9t3p for a photo and http://www.nurdlehunt.org.uk/ for more details.
Nurdles are particularly harmful as they concentrate pollutants, such as PCB’s, and they are consumed by animals, like birds and fish, who think they are eating fish eggs.
Thanks for asking!!
Cheers, Laura.