Maribyrnong City Council has joined with five other Victorian Councils, to participate in the ‘Let’s Strain the Drains’ project supported by the Victorian State Government.
The project will see litter traps installed in stormwater drains, including 20 across Maribyrnong, which are monitored every six weeks to collect data on the quantity and types of litter accumulated.
The data will then be compared to that of neighbouring councils involved, enabling the source of the litter to be identified and actions taken to prevent these types of litter from entering our waterways.
Litter builds up on streets, blocks gutters and drains and eventually finds its way into Port Phillip Bay. Litter and debris pollutes the natural environment and causes serious harm to marine creatures and wildlife.
Some of the most common types of litter which enter local waterways are cigarette butts, plastic items, food packaging, and beverage containers.
Up to 40,000 pieces of plastic are estimated to float in every square kilometre of ocean.
Eight hundred species worldwide including 77 Australian species are impacted by marine debris.
Over 75 percent of what is removed from beaches is made of plastic.
The Let’s Strain the Drains project is funded by the Victorian State Government and delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Cleanwater Group and Sustainability Victoria with support from the Cities of Wyndham, Hobsons Bay, Moreland, Kingston, Maribyrnong and Greater Dandenong.
City of Maribyrnong Mayor, Sarah Carter, said, “It is great to see this collaboration working proactively to protect our precious waterways and wildlife.
“This project is something that will not only benefit our waterways locally, but will hopefully make a difference on a much larger scale.”
