Come Clean Up Australia Day, the parks and waterways will be littered with people cleansing the spaces of their grime, rubbish, and waste. March 1st we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of this great day that pushes for an environmentally friendly Inner West.
It does seem some days that the streets of the Inner West are peppered with McDonalds paper bags and cheap cigarette butts, but this day brings forth the spirit of altruism that pervades our community.
The day signifies the 27.2 million hours donated since its inception and the exponentially growing number of volunteers, last year reaching a staggering 572,000.
Burwood Rotary, has chosen Burwood Park for its target of cleanliness. On the 1st of March many will head down to the park and surrounding areas in order to partake in the community day.
In the past, Burwood Council has decreed that “the world is not your ashtray”, emphasising the damage that cigarettes butts can do to the environment. Both Rotary and the Council have been encouraging members of the area into joining the campaign. And it’s not just Burwood who are taking up the environmental cause; Drummoyne, Marrickville, and Canterbury are all on board to inspire the masses.
The environment issue is one that pops up so very often. There are those who ignore it, those who deny it, but most of us realise the truth. Truths include the fact that 50 million plastic bags enter the litter stream every year. They clutter waterways and lower the appeal of our neighbourhoods, ruining a carefully constructed suburban aesthetic.
Though the numbers are great in dedication, still the rubbish rises against their rally and the amount of plastic bags in the litter stream increases every year. But it is up to every member of the community to come together in bonds of hygiene and health, to conscientiously meet and surpass last year’s national 15,708 tonnes of waste collected.
Since 1990, this day has signified Australian’s proactive optimism towards the country that we call home. It has not come as a surprise that the Inner West flocks for the sake of its odd beauty and tight neighborhoods. So take to the grass with your extended claw and like a keen raven score as much shiny, or otherwise, litter that you can. Come and Clean Up Australia.
