The clean-up on March 3, organised by non-profit group Reef Check Malaysia, took place at 16 locations including the popular holiday beaches of Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Tioman, as well as Pulau Sibu (Johor), Pantai Remis (Selangor), Tanjung Aru (Sabah), Miri (Sarawak) and Likas (Sabah).
The exercise involved over 500 people from 20 organisations, who filled nearly 400 garbage bags with trash from 15km of coastline.
The garbage included 15,874 plastic beverage bottles, 6,884 plastic bags, 2,368 cigarette butts and 203 diapers.
“We have been concerned about marine debris for some time,” Reef Check’s general manager Julian Hyde said in a statement to FMT.
“This clean-up shows just how big the problem is. Imagine if this were extrapolated to the whole of Malaysia.”
Also among the garbage were 4,388 food wrappers, 818 plastic takeaway containers, 1,030 foam containers, 1,899 straws and drink stirrers, and 2,450 plastic bottle caps.
The garbage also included discarded fishing gear, packaging materials, and even appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.
Personal hygiene items were also found, such as condoms, syringes and tampons.
The March 3 event was the first in a series of activities being prepared for World Oceans Day on June 8, and Coral Triangle Day on June 9.
Reef Check which engages with local stakeholders to protect coral reefs in Malaysia hopes to organise a nationwide clean-up event in September.
“The hope is to persuade the government and other stakeholders to take action,” it said.
“Possible solutions include: a deposit scheme for plastic drink bottles, improved recycling schemes, barriers on rivers to stop trash reaching the ocean, and re-purposing plastic into useful products, providing revenue to coastal communities.”
Hyde said it was important to reach the point where clean-ups were no longer necessary by stopping people from littering.
“We call on all players to get involved – government, food and drink companies, resorts and other tourism operators. Everyone has a role to play if we are to find sustainable solutions to this problem.”