ISSN 2287-8971

Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter

Marine Litter News
Volume 14 · Issue 2 · December 2022

03 Microplastic, Cosmetics and
Our Responsibilities

12 Advocating for Including Environmental
Education Programsin National Curricula and Action Plans

05 EcoBricks Found on Coasts of Australia'sGreat Barrier Reef Region

13 ICC Philippines at Work

07 Contributions of Asia-Pacific Civil Forumon Marine Litter Members
at the 7th International Marine Debris
Conference

15 Remoteness Is No Respite From Marine
Litter - A Case Of Jiwani, Pakistan

18 An Update From the CSIRO Marine Debris
Team in Australia
09 Empowering Women for Collective Actions
in Plastic Reduction, Collection andRecycling

21 Coastal Litter Audit in Tun Mustapha Park,
Malaysia, with Capacity Building in Mind

Recommended citation for the whole volume:
Hong, Sunwook.(ed.) (December 2022). Marine Litter News from Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter,Our Sea of East Asia Network, Vol. 14(2): 28p, Tongyeong, South Korea.

ISSN 2287-8971
Marine Litter News Vol. 14(2): 28p. December 2022.
© Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter (APML)
The newsletter is biannually published by APML.

Preface

Marine Litter News

Dear readers,

At the 5.2 United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) last March, member states
unanimously reached a monumental agreement to create a legally binding treaty totackle plastic pollution. Tremendous effortss are taking place all over the globe to pass
the agreement at the next 6th UNEA.
In our newsletter, more and more different groups are sending us their amazing news. In
the opinion section, you can hear the voices of Bangladesh action groups on microplastic
pollution and critical opinions of Australia's Great Barrier Reef ecobrick. In the activity
section, there is news about the 7th Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) held in Busan,
Korea last September. The IMDC had been held in the US from the 1st to the 6th, but for
the first time, it was held in Korea in a place other than the US. OSEAN, which is in chargeof APML's secretariat, has made many contributions, such as organizing sessions,presenting academic research results, operating exhibitions and booths, and organizing
International Coastal Cleanup as a co-hosting organization, and APML members actively
participated. We have more news on Vietnam’s good example of women-centered waste
management, International Waste Platform’s educational program promotion, ICC Philippines’
expansion of ICC through collaboration with local governments and high schools,
response to the open plastic waste incineration problem in Pakistan’s remote islands. As
a research activity, CSIRO Research Institute in Australia reported the news that the
Global Plastics Leakage Project is spreading to 18 countries. In a place that has not been
heard of before, Malaysia introduced the litter audit activity to find the cause of occurrence
using information on the surface of garbage.
Civic groups and research institutes tend to pay more attention and activity to the plastic
problem than ever before. Citizen science plays an important part in the activities of civicorganizations, and women's roles and solutions through education are also important.
Researchers are getting more data through citizen science. Governance among civic
groups, schools, research institutes, and governments is increasingly important. At least
through this Marine Litter News Issue, the boundaries seem to be fused and developed ina desirable direction, which I think is very encouraging as an editor.
I am deeply moved and respectful to the members of APLM and our collaborators who
are doing their best to end plastic pollution. As always, I would like to thank all those whohave contributed to Marine Litter News and I would also like to thank Eliya Baron Lopez
for being our Guest Editor. We promise to be with you with touching and surprising news
in the next issue.
With gratitude

Sunny Hong2

Editor in Chief,
Sunwook Hong
Ph.D.,
President of OSEAN

Co-Editor,
Semee Rhee
Manager, International
Cooperation Divisionof OSEAN

Co-Editor,
Ning Yen
CEO and Co-Founder,
IndigoWaters InstituteResearch
OpinionMicroplastic, Cosmetics,
and Our Responsibilities
Muntasir Mamun | Coordinator, International Coastal Cleanup, Bangladesh | muntasir@gmail.com

This article was originally written in Bangla language and published on bdnews24.com
Link: https://bangla.bdnews24.com/opinion/l4amnrfug4

We don't need to introduce you all to the word microplastic. In the preceding decade, microplastic was one of the mosttalked about words in the world. Since microplastic can often be less than 5 millimeters, it can be minuscule, microscopic,
and practically invisible. No artificial substance is more dangerous than which we intrinsically connect in our daily life.
We either do not know or do not understand that this is true, or even if we know, the microplastic size is so small that wetend to ignore it.
Microplastic is just a fragment of any kind of plastic. It could be any plastic whatsoever. Any substance that has a physicalform and is built with plastic compounds or polymers, all fragments of that substance will exhibit fundamental propertiesof that plastic. Irrespective of how small the plastic is or what name is given to it, it remains, in the end, plastic.
According to popular notion, when larger plastics disintegrate or their constant breakdown results in their reduction,
microplastic is only formed. It is not true that microplastic can be created only after disintegration. Our overall social
image of microplastic is not wrong but perhaps quite inadequate. The usage of microplastic can be seen in all the productsof our daily use, and we are often unaware of it. A simple example is that of cosmetics/beauty products.
Every year about 3,800 tons of microplastic are released into the environment, and it comes only from the cosmetic
products we use daily. This statistical data has been received from Europe only. Although there are specific internationalparameters or guidelines for plastic use, it is now a proven truth that cosmetic goods have plastic (synthetic polymer),irrespective of the name it exists as1, 2.
Our civilization is heavily plastic-dependent. Plastics are present in products ranging from cosmetics and paints tomedicines and producers of agricultural goods. From these kinds of goods, Countries from European Union alone
produce nearly 42,000 tones of plastic-based pollutants in microplastic form every year3. Once this microplastic
produced from common goods used in our daily life is mixed with the environment, no mechanism has been discovered
to date to collect them back.
In some cases, certain cosmetic goods have in their constituents nearly 90% of synthetic polymer, plastic polymer, or
simply plastic４. Once the tiny or microscopic components of these cosmetic goods are used, it goes through the processof washing, from our bathrooms, toilets, rivers, canals, and ponds (where the washing happens) to the processing of
sewage systems. The amount of plastic-like elements present in this product4 will equal the amount of plastic-likeelements that will be added to the environment. If it is possible to purify the water in water treatment plants, the residue
left after purification is mostly let to be mixed with the soil. But it is not like these treatment plants are not useful at all.
Cosmetics manufacturing companies do not list plastic as an ingredient used in their showroom products. They list
ingredients in the names of water-soluble polymer/WSP, liquid, semi-solid, biodegradable, etc. All of these are artificial
or engineered nano-plastics. It remains plastic even when sieved through standards of regulations for the ease of enterprises.

3

Opinion

Water soluble polymers can be defined as a kind of plastic that dissolves in water. And due to this, it is used in different
types of cosmetics, paints, building materials, agricultural products, etc. Polyvinyl alcohol is another kind of water-soluble
polymer manufactured the most in the world in the past century and the most frequently used too –５ 650,000 tons per
year6.
It is said that these water-soluble polymers dissolve in water completely, but there's a catch in the story. When thedensity of polymers increases, the tendency to dissolve decreases. It is further complicated when a distinct amount of
catalyst is required for the dissolution. For example, a particular amount of humidity, certain kinds of microorganisms,
and a specific amount of time and temperature all influence the dissolution process. The time taken can be altered if thewater-soluble polymer is passed through a water treatment plant. Even if that happens, the exact number of controlling
criteria needed for all of it to dissolve completely in water is impossible to achieve outside a laboratory setting. These
facts show that no matter what is said, a more significant part of the plastic polymers released from water-soluble
polymers would eventually end up in the environment７.
Certain studies have revealed that out of ten cosmetics in the market, microplastic can be found in nine, but it is notlisted in the list of ingredients used in that particular product８. These studies have been conducted on products fromthe European market. At the same time, out of the 144 products taken from the Asian market, 68 products were for the
body, 31 were for use on the face, and the others were different cosmetics. The results of this study have shown the
discharge of microplastic in the environment２.
There are numerous other such examples, and they will always be. But the truth is presented to us as a half-truth – nocompany explicitly mentions whether or not the products we use every day have plastic in them. It is challenging forcommoners like us to understand the intricacies of scientific explanations. Is anyone simply telling us, 'What you're
putting on your face doesn't contain any plastic?' People who are producing these goods are also greenwashing９ us.
They are telling us that this is good, use it. They say this is eco-friendly, and we swarm to buy it.
But what is to be done about it? Just like everyone else, you and I are also concerned about this planet earth. And thisis no exaggeration. We feel pity in our ways: maybe we become dazed with guilt. But what is to be done? We cannot
stop beautifying ourselves everyday. Everyone wants to appear beautiful in front of themselves or front of others. But
let us be attractive for the sake of our planet, at least for a day. Be it in a week, a month, or a year. Let us be beautiful
without using harmful plastic cosmetics.

1

Assessment of Toxicity and Biodegradability of Poly (vinyl alcohol)-Based Materials in Marine Water Olalla Alonso-L pez, Sara L pez-Ib
Beiras2

Personal Care and Cosmetic Products as a Potential Source of Environmental Contamination by Microplastics in a Densely Populated Asian City Saidu M.
Bashir, Sam Kimiko, Chu-Wa Mak, James Kar-Hei Fang and David Gon alves

3

ECHA. Microplastics, under "What are the concerns?" (n.d.). Helsinki: European Chemicals Agency. Accessed: February 2022. Available at:https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/microplastics.

4

Leslie, H. A. Review of microplastics in cosmetics: Scientific background on a potential source of plastic particulate marine litter to support decision-making(2014). Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit. Accessed: February 2022. Available at: https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/review-of-microplastics-in-cosmeticsscientific-background-on-a-p.

5

Chiellini, E.; Corti, A.; Solaro, R. Biodegradation of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Based Blown Films under Different Environmental Conditions. Polym. Degrad. Stab.
1999, 64, 305–312.

6

Xu, S.; Malik, M.A.; Qi, Z.; Huang, B.T.; Li, Q.; Sarkar, M. Influence of the PVA Fibers and SiO2 NPs on the Structural Properties of Fly Ash Based Sustainable
Geopolymer. Constr. Build. Mater. 2018, 164, 238–245.

7Arp, H. P. H. & Knutsen, H. 'Could We Spare a Moment of the Spotlight for Persistent, Water-Soluble Polymers?' (2019). In Environmental Science & Technology
54(1), 3–5.

8

Statista. Leading 20 health and beauty brands ranked by consumer reach points in Europe in 2020 (May 2021). Accessed: February 2022. Available at:https://www.statista.com/statistics/900345/most-chosen-health-and-beauty-brands-europe/.

9

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing4

ez, and Ricardo

Research
Opinion

EcoBricks Found on Coasts of Australia’s
Great Barrier Reef Region
Lincoln Hood | Project Officer, Tangaroa Blue Foundation | lincoln@tangaroablue.org

A new type of litter item, the EcoBrick, has been washing onto Australia’s shores over the past few years. EcoBricks are
lastic bottles that are packed tightly with clean, dry, used plastics, including soft and hard plastics, to a set density so thatthey can be used as building blocks for construction projects or art pieces (Figure 1). They were first created in Guatemalain 2003 as a way to contribute to a circular economy by cleaning up plastic litter and stopping plastic from breaking up into
microplastics１. Since then, the EcoBrick movement has grown globally with 140,264 EcoBricks from 151 countries registeredon gobrik.com and unknown amounts unregistered２. EcoBricks have even become a TikTok trend with the #Ecobrickbeing viewed over 18 million times３.
EcoBricks are known as a sustainable initiative for recycling plastics that are found in the environment. The benefits ofcreating EcoBricks include sequestering plastics that would otherwise enter the environment and containing them in amuch smaller space, providing a low-cost construction material that can act as a natural insulator and be used over andover again. EcoBricks also help to raise awareness of the global plastic pollution crisis, can minimise air pollution by reducing
the amount of plastics incinerated at landfills and can provide economic incentives to local communities when NGOs pay
for them. However, the question remains whether the benefits of EcoBricks outweigh the disadvantages.
The disadvantages of EcoBricks are economic, health-related and environmental. In an economic sense, EcoBricks soundlike a free and easy way to create a construction material. However, civilians must be trained on how to make EcoBricks
because they must be created in a specific way in order to be safely used as construction material. This includes only using
clean, dry plastics as fillers because if the material is wet or dirty then bacteria, mould and dangerous gases can build up
in the plastic bottle. EcoBricks are very labour intensive when made correctly - requiring 30-60 minutes for each EcoBrick４.
Although the materials for the EcoBricks are “free” if they are collected as a waste product, this labour cost can beimmense, especially considering that buildings constructed from EcoBricks can range from 1000-10,000s bricks required５.
Additionally, the plastic bottles will break down when exposed to sunlight and the elements and therefore it is recommended to cover the EcoBricks completely in other compounds, such as cob when used in construction projects toprevent degradation (Figure 2). If they are left exposed to the sunlight then the plastics can leach chemicals into theenvironment damaging the soil and potentially entering the water table６. Microplastics and chemicals leached from thebottles can be dangerous to wildlife and humans7,8. Many plastic chemicals are known to be cancer-causing agents and1

Hopkins, R. (2014, May 29). EcoBricks and education: how plastic bottle rubbish is helping build schools. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/may/29/ecobricks-and-education-how-plastic-bottle-rubbish-is-helping-build-schools

2

Aliance, G. E. (n.d.). GoBrik. Www.gobrik.com. https://www.gobrik.com/#global/

3

TikTok Wants You to Make “Ecobricks” From Plastic Trash. Should You? (n.d.). LX.
https://www.lx.com/climate/tiktok-wants-you-to-make-an-ecobrick-from-plastic-trash-should-you/55946/

4

Taaffe, J., O’Sullivan, S., Rahman, M. E., & Pakrashi, V. (2014). Experimental characterisation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottle Eco-bricks. Materials& Design, 60, 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2014.03.045

5karensouthall. (2019, July 1). The House that Ecobrick built. Two Steps Freelance. https://twostepsfreelance.com/2019/07/01/building-with-ecobricks/

6

Hall, S. (2020). What are Ecobricks and are they a Solution to Plastic Pollution? AZO Cleantech.
https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1054#:~:text=These%20non%2Drecyclable%20plastics%20are,aquatic%20plant%20and%20animal%20life

7

Kibria, G., Nugegoda, D., & Haroon, A. K. Y. (2022). Microplastic Pollution and Contamination of Seafood (Including Fish, Sharks, Mussels, Oysters, Shrimps andSeaweeds): A Global Overview. Emerging Contaminants and Associated Treatment Technologies, 277–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89220-3_14

8

Takada, H., Koro, M., & Kwan, C. S. (2021). Marine Plastic Pollution: Chemical Aspects and Possible Solutions. Current Topics in Environmental Health andPreventive Medicine, 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6249-2_10

5

Opinionmore research is needed to understand the impacts of microplastics on human health9,10. Plastics are also highly flammable
so when they are used as a building material in lower socioeconomic developments that use open flames as light and forcooking it can lead to flammable living spaces. Environmentally, EcoBricks don’t address the cause of plastic pollution but
instead only address the symptom. Rather than stop the use of plastics at the source by reducing consumer consumption,
EcoBricks encourage people to collect and save the plastics that they use so they can create the EcoBricks and ultimately
delay plastic pollution issues into the future. In fact, there are anecdotes that indicate the general public in some countries
used more plastics in order to create EcoBricks11. This is linked to a lack of awareness of the downsides of plastic. Finally,
Tangaroa Blue Foundation, an organisation focused on removing and preventing marine debris, has recorded 68
EcoBricks in beach clean-ups along the coast of Queensland, Australia. The continued collection of EcoBricks in beachclean-ups would also indicate that they in themselves are becoming a source of plastic pollution in the ocean.
It is important that we continue to collect data on where EcoBricks are being made, what materials are being used tocreate them and where they are found in the environment as a source of litter. The Australian Marine Debris Initiative(AMDI) Database is an online platform supported by Tangaroa Blue Foundation that allows volunteers and organisations
to submit and view data, including all EcoBricks, from beach and urban clean-ups around Australia. Tangaroa Blue Foundation and 10% for the Ocean12 are trying to determine the source of the EcoBricks we are collecting on Australian beaches and it would help us to know about EcoBricks in your country. We would be grateful if you could take a few minutes toanswer these 10 questions found in the survey below:
https://forms.gle/TBaw8K68KQ9wZwQz9
If you have any questions or more information about EcoBricks in your country please reach out to us at lincoln@tangaroablue.org▲ Figure 1 : EcoBricks found along Australia’s coastby Tangaroa Blue Foundation

9▲ Figure 2 : Global Ecobrick Alliance building a wall with EcoBricks using cob,a natural building material, to bind the EcoBricks together.
https://www.ecobricks.org/earth-methods/

Jiang, Y. (2021). Recent Progress and Research Trends in Microplastic Pollution and the Potential Health Risks. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology, 107(4), 575–576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03367-5

10

Prakash, A., Thaniem, M., & Muniyandi, M. A Review on Emerging Microplastics Pollution in the Marine Environment: A Threat to Seafood Security and Human
Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.35878.19528

11

Unknown. (2018). Changing the Dialogue About “Waste” with Ecobricks. Local Futures.
https://localfutures.medium.com/ecobricks-plastic-waste-downstream-technology-and-system-level-change-646e0f891ba1

12

10 percent for the ocean. (n.d.). 10 Percent for the Ocean. Retrieved August 23, 2022, from https://www.10percentfortheocean.org/

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Activities

Contributions of Asia-Pacific Civil Forumon Marine Litter Members
at the 7th International
Marine Debris Conference
C. Semee Rhee | Manager of International Cooperation, OSEAN | crhee@osean.net

The 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC), the world's longest-running international conference on marine
litter, was held in Busan, South Korea. It garnered the attention of many scientists, researchers, academics, civil society
organizations and environmentalists eager to meet and learn after socially distancing for two years. Among the enthused
were members of the Asia-Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter (APML). As a regional group comprising of civil society
organizations, research institutions, and activists in the Asia-Pacific, APML members have been avid attendees of IMDC for
many years and took this opportune moment to share their work during 7IMDC.
Trang Nguyen and colleagues from Center for Supporting Green Development (GreenHub) presented a poster that
illustrated how citizen science can be used to establish baseline measurements that can help understand the quantificationand characterization of marine litter along the Vietnamese coast. Other members of APML, including Our Sea of East Asia
Network (OSEAN) and IndigoWaters Institute (IndigoWaters) also presented posters on monitoring and citizen science. Dr.
Sunwook Hong from OSEAN and Minsoo Woo from the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology introduced a
new digital citizen science program called Ocean Knights and IndigoWaters presented posters on assessing marine littervolumes in rivers using a rapid survey methodology and on alternatives to traditional data collection. In addition,
IndigoWaters also had poster presentations illustrating the type and composition of anthropogenic debris, the harm
inflicted on marine life due to marine debris, and a guidebook on abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear
(ALDFG) sources in East Asia.
There were nine technical sessions at 7IMDC with monitoring and research sessions having the most number of oralpresentations. Jongsu Lee from OSEAN presented on how citizen science efforts in South Korea have led to effective
beach monitoring and Ning Yen from IndigoWaters highlighted the importance of collecting monitoring data for policychange purposes while Jason Hu, also from IndigoWaters, introduced a study using GPS drifters to understand the fate offloating litter. Besides co-chairing one of the monitoring sessions, Dr. Hong also presented a decision-making frameworkthat can help with choosing an appropriate shoreline monitoring methodology and Dr. Jongmyoung Lee from OSEAN
introduced a collaborative study that used GIS-based spatial exploration and analysis for selecting monitoring sites.

7

Activities

During a technical session on sea-based sources, Jongsu presented a study examining solid waste generated from ships
in South Korea and in a technical session on international collaboration Dr. Lee introduced an international development
project titled Enhancement of Marine Litter Management in Manila Bay to underscore the collaboration between South
Korea and the Philippines. Outside of technical sessions, another important collaboration among OSEAN, Korea Marine
Environment Management Corporation (KOEM), Indonesian Waste Platform, and Communities Organized for Resource
Allocation was showcased during a luncheon. Attendees got a glimpse on how OSEAN and KOEM collaborate with stakeholders
in Indonesia and the Philippines and learned how regional cooperation can help reduce the generation and impact ofmarine litter.

▲ APML members after dinner in Busan, South Korea

On the last day of 7IMDC, APML members also helped with a beach cleanup that was jointly organized by OSEAN, KOEM,
Ocean Conservancy, and the United Nations Environment Programme. More than 200 participants helped collect andrecord beach debris found on Busan's Gwangalli Beach and they even had a chance to sift microplastics using the equipment
provided by OSEAN. The week-long participation and contribution of APML members at 7IMDC was undoubtedly valuable
in many ways and it also strengthened our solidarity. While many of us already look forward to the 8th IMDC, 7IMDC willcertainly have a special place in the hearts of many APML members and be fondly remembered for years to come.

▲ 7IMDC participants at Gwangalli Beach after a beach cleanup8Activities

Empowering Women for Collective Actions
in Plastic Reduction, Collection,
and Recycling
Trang T.T. Nguyen | Co-Founder and Vice Director, Centre for Supporting Green Development | trang.nguyen@greenhub.org.vn

Plastic waste pollution is a serious environmental issue in Vietnam. An estimated 0.28 to 0.73 million tons of plastic waste
are released into the environment each year (Jambeck et al., 2015１). In 2016, 0.57 million tons of plastic waste not properly
managed leaked into Vietnam's coastal regions (Law et al., 2020２). Centre for Supporting Green Development (GreenHub),established in 2016, is a Science and Technology Organization aiming to create a community to practice sustainable
lifestyles. From 2020 - 2023, under the United States Agency for International Development sponsorship, GreenHub implemented
the project "Local Solutions for Plastic Pollution" (LSPP) in Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hanoi. To carry out the project, GreenHub
has collaborated with the Women's Union of all the mentioned cities to develop community models and initiatives regarding
production, collection, and recycling. The approach of the model is shown through the 6S model: Situation - Solution Support - Supervision – Scale-up - Sustainability.

In Da Nang: City women participate in community waste management during the Covid-19 epidemic
Within the framework of LSPP, GreenHub supports the initiative "Mobilizing the Green Living Clubs to participate in waste
management in the community under the context of the COVID-19 pandemic" in 2021-2022. GreenHub provided training
on plastic waste and environmental health to the members of the Women's Union, supported Da Nang Women's Union toorganize creative communication campaigns about plastic waste reduction, and provided equipment and vehicles for the
Women's Union to collect recyclable waste.
The Women's Union of Da Nang City implemented the initiative and established seven Green Living Clubs in seven districts
with a total of 126 members. GreenHub and the City Women's Union supported seven clubs with seven waste collection
bins for hazardous and recyclable waste with clear instructions and seven waste collection vehicles to make the collection
activities more efficient.

▲ Figure 1 : Bag-shaped Bin and Vehicle for collection

1

Jambeck, J.R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T.R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Narayan, R. and Law, K.L., (2015) Plastic waste inputs from land into theocean. Science, 347(6223):768-771.

2

Law, K. L., Starr, N., Siegler, T. R., Jambeck, J. R., Mallos, N. J., & Leonard, G. H. (2020).The United States’ contribution of plastic waste to land and ocean.
Science advances, 6(44), eabd0288.

9

Activities

After nearly seven months, seven Green Living Clubs have mobilized 80% of local people to participate in sorting andcollecting 32,410 cans; 1,464,024 kg of plastic waste; 707,180 kg of paper; 753,750 kg of metal, accounting for nearly 22
million VND to support 98 disadvantaged individuals.
The initiative has helped the Women's Union to promote its role in directing and guiding the clubs to deploy activities,
increase the capacity of the association's staff and strengthen the communication in waste classification. At the same time,the initiative has also supported the clubs in attracting and promoting community participation in waste classification.
Through the initiative implementation, the Women's Union has learned to organize activities based on the current situationof the locality, collecting opinions and needs from the residential community for implementation, mobilizing the participationfrom the community, and performing well the two-way communication with the locality. Furthermore, regular activities
have been organized by the Women's Union and Green Living Clubs to help local people feel familiar and motivated.
With the active contribution to environmental protection in general and plastic waste reduction in particular of Green
Living Clubs and the City Women's Union in the past time, GreenHub has been continuing to accompany and support
them soon, specifically in capacity building for club members in organizing communication events about plastic waste to
the community.

In Hanoi - Bac Tu Liem District:
In Bac Tu Liem district, the domestic waste collected and transported in 2021 was 99,434 tons. When the GreenHub projectapproached the Women's Union of Bac Tu Liem district for the first time in 2021, there were specific concerns, mainly when
the responsibility of environmental protection lies with everyone, so it cannot be solved quickly. Thus, the fact that Bac Tu
Liem Women's Union is accompanying GreenHub in a big project on plastic waste is indeed an ambitious mission. Amongthe series of activities GreenHub carried out with the District Women's Union over the past six months, there are three main
activities, including i) the practice of waste classification and treatment at households; ii) the contest "Bac Tu Liem women
join hands to reduce plastic waste"; and iii) the recycled playground in the community.

▲ Figure 2 : Training on making enzymes from organic waste for Bac Tu Liem Women's Union

10

Activities

GreenHub has accompanied the Women's Union to implement the methods of developing a waste classification, collection,and treatment habit at each household. After providing training, more than 500 Women's Union members took lessons on
waste classification and treatment methods, such as recycling waste, making organic fertilizer from compost, making
enzyme dishwashing liquid, etc. In addition, the contest "Bac Tu Liem women join hands to reduce plastic waste" brought
incredible outcomes. Nearly 38.5 tons of waste was collected by the Women's Union, of which plastic waste accounts foraround 10.1 tons. Another model is the community recycled playground in Lien Mac ward, where old wheels and discarded
ceramic pieces have been used for development, spreading the message "Waste as a resource."▲ Figure 3 : Lien Mac playground is made from plastic waste

Conclusions
The role of women in plastic waste management is crucial. Acknowledging this, GreenHub has promoted cooperation with
the Women's Union at all levels to perform many meaningful activities, movements, and compelling, effective models. By
applying three principles, "Co-creation," "Capacity building," and "Expertise sharing," the Women's Union has actively
promoted initiatives to operate more efficiently and link business models with startup initiatives. The essential factors forthis success include i) the local women's leadership and entrepreneurship; ii) the joint effort of both men and women inmodel implementation to create social values and contribute to local environmental protection actions for a greener
Vietnam.
The lessons from Women's Unions' cases are valuable to contribute to replicating the best practices of the model "Collection
and classification of waste", turning waste into money, raising funds for social work, humanity work, and grassroots activities
to other places. Those environmental protection models can create livelihood, economic development, and startup
opportunities to encourage women's interest and participation. After the communication and implementation phase, men
and women are encouraged to overcome gender inequality and prejudice in solid waste management and plastic pollution
reduction environmental problems. In addition, it strengthens cooperation to implement environmental protection
projects and initiatives between the Women's Union and non-profit organizations, thereby promoting the effectivenessand sustainability of environmental protection activities.

11Activities

Advocating for Including Environmental
Education Programsin National Curricula and Action Plans
Jella Kandziora | Coordinator, International Waste Platform | jella.kandziora@yahoo.de
Nina van Toulon | Coordinator, International Waste Platform | nina@indonesianwaste.org

The International Waste Platform (IWP), established in 2018, currently comprises members from 35 countries1 following acommon vision. Its members commit themselves to align their objectives, support the implementation of strategies on
ocean and climate action, as well as to share ideas, best practices, programs, knowledge and opportunities that also
include reducing plastic debris from the source. IWP shares this collective knowledge among its members and disseminates
it to open access educational resources for its members and their communities through the https://internationalwasteplatform.org website.
In 2022, IWP particularly focused on the promotion of formal and informal environmental education programs by presenting
best practice approaches at conferences and by striving for a more effective cooperation that embodied a collective
approach.
Waste management and recycling are underrepresented topics in national curricula (UNESCO, 2016), and the COVID-19
pandemic aggravated this situation by disrupting school schedules and by creating unmanageable levels of biomedical
plastic wastes (Benson et al. 2021). As a result, opportunities to introduce up to date information and programs addressing
emerging issues like plastic pollution have become scarce. To make matters worse, countries often lack personnel andfinancial resources to develop and run such educational programs. Therefore, IWP has been strongly advocating for an
inclusion of environmental education programs in national curricula and action plans. It is of fundamental importance thatchildren – from a young age onwards - learn how they can act on a personal level to prevent, reduce and potentiallyrecycle plastic waste and also learn how to respond to climate change.
To this end, IWP members contribute and provide solutions for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We leave
no one behind by offering and providing free access to existing approaches and learning materials and by helping withtranslations and the dissemination of learning materials even in the most remote regions (SDG 4). Furthermore, IWP members
develop programs to combat climate change and to tackle pollution in the sea and on land (SDG 13, SDG 14, and SDG 15).
We strongly support creating synergies by knowledge sharing and follow a multi-stakeholder approach to build on local
knowledge of contributors and to seek opportunities for future collaboration (SDG 17).
Most recently, IWP members from Australia, Indonesia, Myanmar and South Africa presented their replicable and successfully
implemented programs at the Second International Conference of the African Marine Waste Network – Towards Zero
Plastics to the Seas of Africa in May 2022 and they also presented at the 7th International Marine Debris Conference(7IMDC) in Busan, Republic of Korea in September 2022. Through these conferences, IWP members have been raisingawareness and have been actively ensuring that their voices are heard.
If you are interested in learning more about IWP and wish to connect with us, please use the following QR code.
Literature
Benson, N. U., Bassey, D. E., & Palanisami, T. (2021). COVID pollution: impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global plastic waste
footprint. Heliyon, 7(2), e06343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06343
UNESCO (2016): Global Education Monitoring Report - Education for people & planet: Creating sustainable futures for all, Paris
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000245752_eng

1Inter alia OSEAN from South Korea.

12Activities

ICC Philippines At Work
Noemi S. Alvaran RN MCMDR | ICC Philippines- Cavite Coordinator | babebee03@yahoo.com

September 2022 has been a busy month for ICC Philippines. Aside from the annual International Coastal Cleanup, in which
the Philippines actively participates, coordinated by the ICC Philippines with all sectors of civil society, they also organizeda Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring System Seminar in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) in the Province of Cavite on September 28, 2022. President Geronimo P. Reyes of ICC Philippines, Inc.,a marine scientist wanted to upgrade the skills and capabilities of the volunteer scuba divers who are very passionate
about protecting the natural coral reefs of Manila Bay. The participants learned methodologies implemented by themarine scientists of DENR, UP Marine Institute, and other research institutions in the country on how to assess and document
the kind of litters collected from underwater and the types of corals with consideration of their overall condition. The skills
acquired through this training will make every underwater cleanup and coral reef monitoring more science-based, wheredata gathering can be used as a reliable source of information for the local government and other concerned agencies.

▲ Figure 1 : Biodiversity Assessment & Monitoring System Orientation Seminar led by ICC Philippines
President Geronimo P. Reyes in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Participants were joined by the Philippine Coast Guard Special Operations Unit, the Coast Guard Auxiliary Scuba Divers, and the volunteer scuba divers for marine conservation▲ Figure 2 : Location of Ternate Marine Park and the ICC 2022 Cleanup site in Maragondon

13

Activities

ICC Philippines has been an active partner of the Cavite Provincial Government Environment Natural Resources Office (PG
ENRO) in many marine environment protection activities, such as coastal and underwater cleanups, mangrove rehabilitation,and coral reef conservation. They were invited as a partner organization during the launching of the Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources program for solid waste management through a mobile game application called
Philippine’s Trash Buster last September 17, 2022 in Ternate High School, where over a hundred students and teachers
attended. The history of International Coastal Cleanup, its missions and a summary of previous trash data collected wasbriefly presented through a PowerPoint presentation. The emphasis on proper waste disposal, especially for the facemasks being worn every day by the students and teachers, was part of the presentation supported by the two (2) minutes
videos of cleanups done by volunteers in the Cavite area. Each participant and guest were given fliers and face mask
lanyards to remind them of their responsibility in properly disposing of their masks. A poster about how face masks canharm the underwater marine life if not disposed of properly was also endorsed to the school principal.

▲ Figure 3 : ICC Day at Maragondon, Cavite.
The young volunteers were commended for their participation in the program.
They were given fliers with beaded lanyards as souvenirs by the ICC Philippines Cavite Coordinator.

▲ Figure 5 : The Poster that reminds everyone to properly dispose of litter andhow a face mask can harm the corals▲ Figure 4 : Fliers with lanyards distributed to the participants▲ Figure 6 : Presentation of ICC Results

14Activities

Remoteness is No Respite
From Marine Litter a Case of Jiwani, Pakistan
Muhammad Moazzam | Technical Advisor | WWF-Pakistan, 35-D, PECHS, Block 6. Karachi-75400, Pakistan | Email: mmoazzamkhan@gmail.com
Sudheer Ahmed | Research Associate | WWF-Pakistan, Jiwani Information Centre, Jiwani, Pakistan | Email: sudheerbaloch18@gmail.com

Henderson Island is part of the UK's Pitcairn Islands group and is considered as one of the most remote islands in theworld, located in the South Pacific about 5,000 km east of the nearest land mass. However, despite its remoteness,
Henderson Island’s beaches are littered with an estimated 37.7 million pieces of debris. This may hold for many otherplaces far away from major population centres, but marine litter have not spared the island, and its beaches are morepolluted than anyone could expect.
Pakistan, located in the northern Arabian Sea, has a coastline of about 1,000 km. Karachi is a megalopolis city in Pakistanwith an estimated population of more than 30 million. The beaches of this town are littered with marine debris as the
town lacks an organized solid waste disposal system. Jiwani is one of the smallest and most remotely located towns,
about 700 km farthest from Karachi (Figure 1), with a meagre population of 18,000. About 95 % of the population of thissmall town is directly or indirectly involved in fishing or ancillary activities.

▲ Figure 1 : Coast of Pakistan (Northern Arabian Sea)

Jiwani was well known for its serene beaches; some are biodiversity hotspots. The most important beach in Jiwani is locatednorthwest of the town, on a rocky ledge protruding from sand dunes. This beach is known as Nawab Bungalow beach, named
after the Chieftan of the area. The beach is known for its diverse marine life, some of which are not reported in any other partof Pakistan. This rocky beach has unique fauna, including feather stars (crinoid), pearl oysters, and sea fans that are endemic
to the beach (Figure 2). A major part of the rocky ledge is covered with small black mussels (Brachidontes pharaonis), giving
a unique lustre to the shore.

15

Activities▲ Figure 2 : Rocky ledge of Nawab Bungalow Beach, Jiwani known for its diverse marine life

Despite its remoteness, Jiwani’s beaches have been polluted with debris, resulting in the loss of the town’s beauty andserenity. The town does not have any formal disposal system, and garbage is dumped where ever it is feasible; sometimes
thrown from the cliffs into the sea (Figure 3). Under the influence of the longshore current, the garbage was observed tobe piled on beaches along Jiwani, mainly on the Nawab Bungalow beach giving it an ugly look to its beautiful shores(Figure 4). It is extremely agonizing that major part of the marine litter on this beach consisted of plastic. In 2020, WWF-Pakistan
has an Information Centre near the beach and decided to take some remedial measures to control the increasing menaceof marine litter accumulation in this biodiversity hotspot. It was difficult to convince people not to dispose of the garbage
along the coastline. The disposed of garbage ultimately accumulates on Nawab Bungalow beach and other rocky sandy
shores along the Jiwani coastline.

▲ Figure 3 : At Jiwani, garbage dumped from cliffs along the coastline▲ Figure 4 : Garbage accumulated on Nawab Bungalow Beach, Jiwani

WWF-Pakistan along with some elders of the fishermen community held a meeting with the Tehsildar (Administrator) of
Jiwani in December 2020 who promised to declare a dumpsite for Jiwani and put a ban on dumping of garbage on the
coastline. Ultimately Taakani Tayab, located on the mountain side about 4 km from the Nawab Bungalow beach, wasdesignated as a dump site for the town of Jiwani (Figure 5). Initially, there was resistance from the coastal community.
However, ultimately, the disposal of garbage was shifted to this area. Local administration used to burn the garbage at thedumpsite, but meetings were held with the Tehsildar (Administrator) of Jiwani in May 2022, and a ban was imposed on theburning of garbage in the town. Now garbage from Jiwani Twon is being dumped at Taakani Tayab, which is periodicallyburied till some arrangements for recycling are developed for this remote town.

16

Activities▲ Figure 5 : Garbage is taken at a dumpsite at Taakani Tayab, Jiwani

Reduction of uncontrolled dumping of garbage along the coastline improved the situation, and the accumulation ofmarine litter on beaches has declined. After the monsoon season (June to August), known for intense wave action, mostbeaches were observed to have little or no garbage.

▲Figure 6 : Nawab Bungalow beach devoid of garbage(Photo taken on 27 April, 2022).

▲ Figure 7 : Nawab Bungalow beach biodiversity and beauty restored(Photo taken on 27 April, 2022)

Nawab Bungalow beach was almost devoid of accumulated garbage (Figure 6). The beauty of this important beach is now
restored (Figure 7). Although there are breaches and sometimes garbage is still being thrown on the beaches. However,its frequency and quantities are insignificant, therefore, not contributing much to the marine litter on the coastline.
Punitive actions have been taken against violators, and some have been fined.
The uncontrolled disposal of garbage and its dumping along the seacoast may lead to serious consequences, including
loss of biodiversity, the entanglement of marine animals, and loss of aesthetics & serenity of the beaches. The WWF-Pakistanalong with fisherman communities took initiative to reduce marine litter dumping and control garbage disposal, which
ultimately resulted in the restoration and serenity of the remote beaches in Jiwani

17

Activities

An Update
From the CSIRO Marine Debris Teamin Australia
Britta Denise Hardesty | Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere | denise.hardesty@csiro.au

Global Plastics Leakage Project
Our global plastics leakage project is going strong and we feel very fortunate to have now partnered with like-mindedorganisations in the following countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia,
Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Seychelles, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Please let us
know if you would like to learn more or to get involved! denise.hardesty@csiro.au▲ Map showing which countries have been surveyed for marine debris using the CSIRO method.

Recently, we led a two-week intensive learning workshop and field campaign in Phuket, Thailand as part of our partnership with the United Nations (UN) and Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA). This work was supported by
the Sea Circular program and Sweden Sverige. More than 30 people from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia andPhilippines (and Australia) came together to learn skills, share stories, and collect meaningful data. Each participant
walked away with the knowledge and skills to teach others on how to conduct marine debris surveys in their respective
countries; follow up surveys have already been completed in the Philippines and Cambodia with more fieldwork andtraining coming up in Malaysia and Vietnam. The participants were friendly and fabulous even when doing surveys in atorrential rainstorm!

18Activities▲ A team in Thailand heading out for a big day of training.

▲ Surveying in heavy rain did not deter anyone’s high spirits!

A New App for Data Collection
We are excited to share with you the Open Data Kit (ODK) data entry portal/platform which works on Android devices.
This is an easy-to-use app-like tool that you can use on your mobile phone or tablet. This app is free, which means data
entry takes less time and will even work if the user is offline or has no reception. Please get in touch with us if you would
like to learn more about the data collection approach we are now using (denise.hardesty@csiro.au). Importantly, the app
allows users to convert to their local language and we will soon be uploading videos and other training materials directly
to the platform for ease of use in the field.

▲ Using the new ODK data entry tool to input survey data.

19

Activities

Training Materials and Videos for Remote Learning
As everyone knows, the world has changed with Covid-19. With the global pandemic, we needed to adapt how we provided
training. Because of the difficulty in travel, we have started running some of our training and capacity building courses
virtually. To better support these activities, we have also recently updated our handbook and we have produced sometraining videos that can assist new surveyors to learn the correct process of surveying litter. The training videos explainsome background information, correct techniques and go into detail about how to use our new data collection app. They
will be available by the end of 2022 and we are very excited to share them! These videos are being produced in partnershipwith the UN and COBSEA with support from Sea Circular and Sweden Sverige.

▲ A screen grab from one of the new training videos with TJ talking about how to perform a litter survey at an inland site.

Also, we have a book that will be coming out next year that highlights grassroots efforts to end plastic pollution, creating
new products from ‘waste,’ and providing information that is critical in advocating for change at governance, manufacturing
and end-user levels. The book will be released on World Oceans Day 2023. Please reach out if you’d like more information!

Key findings from our recent work with country partners and other interesting stuff:•Socioeconomic factors drive litter density, not population density(https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5690/meta)•A global assessment of the relationship between litter on land and the seafloor(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749120302141)•Less litter in Australia(https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(22)00263-9)•Global estimates of fishing gear lost to the ocean each year
(https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abq0135)•The important contribution to waste management by the informal sector (waste pickers)(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901122002866)

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Research

Coastal Litter Audit
in Tun Mustapha Park, Malaysia,
with Capacity Building in Mind
Hong Ching Goh | Associate Professor, Department of Urban & Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya | gohhc@um.edu.my
Sui Hyang Kuit | Scientific Officer, MareCet Research Organization | viviankuit@hotmail.com
Wan Nur Syazana Wan Mohamad Ariffin | Project Officer, Department of Urban & Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya | wannursyazana@um.edu.my
Isabel Richter | Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology | isabel.richter@ntnu.no
Sofia Johari | Chairperson, Kudat Turtle Conservation Society | sofia2611@gmail.com
Kwai Han Lee | Research Assistant, Department of Urban & Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya | kw.han15@gmail.com
Eva Vivian Justine | Project Coordinator, Kudat Turtle Conservation Society | evavivian05@gmail.com
Sharon Mansarah | Research Assistant, Department of Urban & Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya | sharonmansarahmugau@gmail.com
Pei Lin Yu | Research Assistant, Department of Urban & Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya | yu_peilin@outlook.com

Introduction
Plastic has become an indispensable part of people’s daily lives. Plastic production was estimated to be 380 million tons
in 2015１, and more than 10 million tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans every year, making plastics the predominant typeof marine litter２. This threatens ocean health and biodiversity of the marine ecosystems, food security, fisheries, and tourism
industries３-５. Malaysia is ranked 8th in the world out of 192 coastal countries assessed for mismanagement of plastic waste２,６,
which is also the most common type of litter found on Malaysian beaches７. However, knowledge regarding the consequencesof plastic consumption and the threats connected to marine debris in Malaysia is still lacking, as well as coastal surveys are
fragmented and very limited５. The GCRF Blue Communities(https://blue-communities.org/) Malaysian Case Study (BC MY)
team conducted a study to understand the types, geographical, and systemic sources of mismanaged plastic wastes in the
coastal areas of Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), Sabah (Figure 1).

1

Almroth, B. C., & Eggert, H. (2019). Marine Plastic Pollution: Sources, Impacts, and Policy Issues. Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, 13(2), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1093/reep/rez012

2

Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Narayan, R., & Law, K. L. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean.
Science, 347(6223), 768–771. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260352

3

Renaud, P., Stretz, J., Lateheru, J., & Kerbachi, R. (2018). Marine Litter Prevention: Reducing plastic waste leakage into waterways and oceans through circular
economy and sustainable waste management. Eschborn: Deutsche Gesellschaft f r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

4

International Union for Conservation of Nature. (2021, November). Issues Brief: Marine Plastic Pollution.
https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/marine-plastic-pollution

5

Fauziah, S. H., Rizman-Idid, M., Cheah, W., Loh, K.-H., Sharma, S., M.R, N., Bordt, M., Praphotjanaporn, T., Samah, A. A., Sabaruddin, J. S. bin, & George, M.
(2021). Marine debris in Malaysia: A review on the pollution intensity and mitigating measures. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 167, 112258.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112258

6

Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change. (2018). Malaysia’s Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018 - 2030:
Towards A Sustainable Future. https://www.pmo.gov.my/ms/2019/07/pelan-hala-tuju-malaysia-ke-arah-sifar-penggunaan-plastik-sekali-guna-2018-2030/

7

Fauziah, S. H., Liyana, I. A., & Agamuthu, P. (2015). Plastic debris in the coastal environment: The invincible threat? Abundance of buried plastic debris on
Malaysian beaches. Waste Management & Research, 33(9), 812-821

21

Research▲ Figure 1: Map of Tun Mustapha Park, Sabah８

Citizen science, where members of the public voluntarily get involved in scientific research, is increasingly recognised as
an effective approach for studying plastic pollution due to the plastic litter occurrence being widespread and patchy９.
Involving public members in the research process helps researchers raise awareness10 and might even develop a senseof urgency amongst the involved citizens11. Involving citizens from coastal communities in Malaysia in this data collection
also fills a research gap identified in a recent meta-analysis12, stating that developing regions are still strongly underrepresented
in citizen science.
With collaboration from the Kudat Turtle Conservation Society (KTCS - https://www.facebook.com/KTCS.BORNEO/)and 12 local citizen scientists, the litter audit exercises were conducted at three sites in Kudat (Esplanade Kudat, Kosuhui
Simpang Mengayau, and Bak-Bak Beach). These sites were selected because (1) they are highly impacted by litter, (2)they have high foot traffic, and (3) they are accessible by cars. The three sites also fall under different management
authorities, allowing for future study on the district-level solid waste management coverage and effectiveness.

Methods
The litter audit involved geo-tagging of litter using a free open-data mobile application, Litterati (https://www.litterati.org/),
within a 100-metre long and 30-metre wide area in the three litter hotspots identified (Figure 2). Litterati was chosen due
to its ability to add tags in the local Malay language and good app performance in areas with poor internet connection.
Figure 3 highlights the litter audit protocol. The litter audit was conducted once daily for three days and on the day before
street sweeping for optimum litter accumulation.

８

Sabah Parks. (2017). Tun Mustapha Park Integrated Management Plan 2017 - 2026.

９

Zettler, E. R., Takada, H., Monteleone, B., Mallos, N., Eriksen, M., & Amaral-Zettler, L. A. (2017). Incorporating citizen science to study plastics in the environment.
Analytical Methods, 9(9), 1392–1403. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6AY02716D

10

Locritani, M., Merlino, S., & Abbate, M. (2019). Assessing the citizen science approach as tool to increase awareness on the marine litter problem. Marine Pollution
Bulletin, 140, 320–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.023

11

Theobald, E. J., Ettinger, A. K., Burgess, H. K., DeBey, L. B., Schmidt, N. R., Froehlich, H. E., Wagner, C., HilleRisLambers, J., Tewksbury, J., Harsch, M. A., & Parrish,
J. K. (2015). Global change and local solutions: Tapping the unrealized potential of citizen science for biodiversity research. Biological Conservation, 181, 236–244.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2014.10.021

12

Kawabe, L. A., Ghilardi-Lopes, N. P., Turra, A., & Wyles, K. J. (2022). Citizen science in marine litter research: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 182, 114011.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114011

22

Research▲ Figure 2 : Recruited citizen scientists laid the 100m intersects and conducted the litter audit▲ Figure 3: Litter audit protocol13

13

GCRF Blue Communities Malaysian Case Study. (2022). Getting started with citizen science: A guide to litter audit. Manuscript submitted for publication.
UM Press, University Malaya.

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Research

Findings
Data extracted from the Litterati application shows that Kosuhui Simpang Mengayau had the highest Clean-Coast Index(CCI) of 24.4 due to the exorbitant number of litters audited thus considered as ‘Extremely Dirty’ compared to the othertwo sites. Esplanade Kudat had a CCI of 5.2, which is ‘Moderate’, followed by Bak-Bak Beach, ‘Clean’ with a CCI of 3.8(Figure 4). Esplanade Kudat and Bak-Bak Beach fall under the local authority's jurisdiction, Kudat Town Board, whichorganises regular garbage pickup services. Unlike these two sites, Kosuhui Simpang Mengayau is under the managementof the Sabah Tourism Board but has no regular schedule for garbage collection unless requested, thus explaining thehigh CCI in the area.

▲ Figure 4: Map showing the location of the three audit sites and their Clean-Coast Index (CCI)

Out of 367 total items of marine litter collected, plastic waste was the most common totalling up to 86.6% (Figure 5). The top
10 items collected across the three audit sites were all made of plastics; among them were beverage bottles, bottle/container
caps, takeaway food packaging, straws, food wrappers, and others. Based on the five major categories of marine litter sources
by Ocean Conservancy14, more than half of the litter audited was food-related from the shoreline and recreational activities,
followed by ocean/waterway activities. Other sources found in Kudat were smoking-related activities, dumping activities,
medical/hygiene, and undetermined sources (Figure 6). These findings show that the primary source of marine litter in
the audit areas are heavily influenced by beach users and are land-based, particularly from the shoreline and recreational
activities, conforming to the findings from previous litter audit studies carried out in coastal areas15-17. The dominance offood-related litter in these areas is not surprising considering that Kosuhui Simpang Mengayau is a popular tourism spot
among local and international visitors, whereas Esplanade Kudat and Bak-Bak beach are recreational areas with hawker
stalls and restaurants that the locals frequently visit.

14

International Coastal Cleanup Report 2011. https://oceanconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2011-Ocean-Conservancy-ICC-Report.pdf

15

Munari, C., Corbau, C., Simeoni, U., & Mistri, M. (2016). Marine litter on Mediterranean shores: Analysis of composition, spatial distribution and sources in northwestern Adriatic beaches. Waste Management, 49, 483–490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.12.010

16

Pradit, S., Nitiratsuwan, T., Towatana, P., Jualaong, S., Sornplang, K., Noppradit, P., Jirajarus, M., Darakai, Y., & Weerawong, C. (2020).
MARINE DEBRIS ACCUMULATION ON THE BEACH IN LIBONG, A SMALL ISLAND IN ANDAMAN SEA, THAILAND.
Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 18(4), 5461–5474. https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1804_54615474

17

Mghili, B., Analla, M., Aksissou, M., & Aissa, C. (2020). Marine debris in Moroccan Mediterranean beaches: An assessment of their abundance, compositionand sources. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 160, 111692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111692

24

Research▲ Figure 5: Composition of litter material audited across all three audit sites▲ Figure 6: Sources of litter collected in Kudat during the litter audit

Moving Forward
The communities of TMP, particularly the young people, have continuously demonstrated their enthusiasm and willingness
to be part of the research and contribute to their communities. Through a citizen science litter audit exercise, the BC MY
team seeks to empower the coastal communities and build their capacities towards the ever-changing dynamics in theinteraction between coastal communities and the marine environment18-19. Plastic waste is the most common type oflitter found in the coastal areas of Kudat, Sabah, which is consistent with the findings of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia
survey in 201120. Future research could focus on exploring the impact of different managements at these sites on marine
litter. Based on these findings, the team is developing an online questionnaire survey to gauge coastal communities’
attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours concerning marine plastic pollution and their local governments’ solid waste
management system. In the long-term, these data will help the team to formulate evidence-based interventions adapted to the local context of TMP as one of the local actions in responding to the global issue of marine plastic pollution.

18

Lim, V.-C., Justine, E. V., Yusof, K., Ariffin, W. N. S. W. M., Goh, H. C., & Fadzil, K. S. (2021). Eliciting local knowledge of ecosystem services using participatory
mapping and Photovoice: A case study of Tun Mustapha Park, Malaysia. PLOS ONE, 16(7), e0253740. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253740

19

Mohd Noor, M. I., N. Alagappar, P., Then, A. Y.-H., Justine, E. V., Lim, V.-C., & Goh, H. C. (2022). Perspectives of youths on cultural ecosystem services provided
by Tun Mustapha Park, Malaysia through a participatory approach. Environmental Education Research, 0(0), 1–18.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2075831

20

Hagir, R., Luthfi, M. A., & Chong, E. (2012, July 16). Clean Coast Index Report 2011 – Part 2. Marine Group, Malaysian Nature Society Selangor Branch.
https://mnsmarine.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/clean-coast-index-report-2011-part-2/

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ISSN 2287-8971© Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine Litter (APML)
The newsletter is biannually published by APML.

Asia Pacific Civil Forum on Marine LitterJapan Environmental Action Network (JEAN)Our Sea of East Asia Network (OSEAN)

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Cleanup@jean.jp

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Ocean Conservancy
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cleanup@oceanconservancy.org+1-202-429-5609

Centre for Supporting Green Development (GreenHub)
Planning and Investment Ministry Building, 10th floor, office 1008,
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Indonesian Waste Platform
www.indonesianwaste.org

nina@indonesianwaste.org+62 813-5344-6507

ISSN 2287-8971