By Kath Gannaway
Plastic water bottles and cigarette butts were the stand-out rubbish items collected as part of Clean Up Australia Day around Seville.
Dedicating just an hour to the cause, the Seville Township Group and community members of all ages made a huge impact on the local environment, picking up cans, bottles, plastic bags, butts and other discarded items from around the main street, the oval and water park and along the creek.
“When you’re not looking very closely you tend to think there is not a lot of rubbish laying around, but take a closer look and you get a different view,” Township Group committee member Sue McMurdie said.
“It’s great for the kids to see the consequence of just dropping something.
“The plastic drink bottles, cigarette butts and alcohol cans were the things that disturbed me the most,” she said.
One of the problems they identified was that much of the rubbish comes from overflowing bins and the group Township Group look at how that can be addressed.
Ms McMurdie said it was a very successful event also in terms of community building.
“The Township Group is really keen to be seen to be connecting people, and it was lovely to be meeting people you’ve not met before,” she said.
She added that one of the messages that was reinforced on the day was that anyone can pick up rubbish around the town at any time.