Volunteers cleaning outback

Possum3 · Guru

Volunteers cleaning outback

Whenarewethere · Guru

We cleaned up Deep Creek NP, SA, took a few hours. Endless chip packets, but we left it there for collection as we don't have the room in out car to take out the rubbish.

The rubbish in the outback is out of hand.

We also clean up a section of Sydney Harbour foreshore every week, but since early 2020 the amount of rubbish has been a fair bit less.

oldbloke · Guru

Yes is a disgrace, I often go camping and clean up other people's rubbish. Take home a bag for stubbies and Cans.

Gus1949 · Senior Member

We have gardening gloves and rubbish bags in the van purely for the purpose of cleaning up rubbish at free camps. Nothing worse than sitting outside the van in the evening with a coldie and staring across a landscape littered with rubbish.

Possum3 · Guru

As Gus1949, we tend to free camp in sundry places such as gravel pits and such we carry long BBQ tongs and gloves for the sole purpose of cleaning up such areas.

Tony Bev · Guru

I use a pick-up tool called a "Reacher"

I last got mine from Kmart, usually buy two at a time

After use, I clean the jaws with a baby wipe, as they are suppose to kill most germs

Pic below, last time I brought them on special at $11, they are now on line from Kmart at $9

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

I would only hope that the grubs who messed up the bush would not continue along their way dropping more (which often seems to be the way, grrrr), that they would take notice that someone cares!

Bunnings also keep a folding grabber, not quite as long as the Kmart one. I found it handy after a couple of hospital visits.

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

I've always done it wherever I go, even clean up when I've gone to the beach and rest stops too. Although I won't clean up a poo, I just just get back in the car and go brum brum real quick.
At least some of us leave places as we find them or better.

chappy · Senior Member

In 2011 when we went to the Kununarra tourist info centre we picked up a show bag type bag. It included a pair of tongs, large plastic bags for rubbish, sturdy cloth gloves, a heavy duty bag for firewood collection, information sheets on so many subjects relating to travel in WA and a wonderful car sticker "Honk for a wedgie" which had a photo of a wedge tailed eagle on it. All this was compliments of WA main roads. It was a real encouragement to pick up rubbish which we had always done anyway. I doubt this still happens sadly.

Tony Bev · Guru

chappy wrote:
In 2011 when we went to the Kununarra tourist info centre we picked up a show bag type bag. It included a pair of tongs, large plastic bags for rubbish, sturdy cloth gloves, a heavy duty bag for firewood collection, information sheets on so many subjects relating to travel in WA and a wonderful car sticker "Honk for a wedgie" which had a photo of a wedge tailed eagle on it. All this was compliments of WA main roads. It was a real encouragement to pick up rubbish which we had always done anyway. I doubt this still happens sadly.

Hi Chappy

Wow, that was good

I have been through Kununurra a few times now, but had never entered the tourist info centre, as I was always just passing through

I do remember, (it may have been around 2011), some of the servos on the highways of WA, were giving a small rubbish bag for the car

I think that the method behind the madness, was that you would put the car rubbish in the bag, instead of throwing it out of the window

jeepnudger · Senior Member

The amount of rubbish that is left everywhere is so disappointing to see, I now when we walk anywhere I make a point of picking up at least 2 pieces of rubbish. if everyone did this you would see a difference. I also get annoyed by the rubbish that is left around Maccas, KFC, Subway & Hungryjacks , surely the local councils should require them to cleanup their rubbish which their customers discard.

I also notice when you stop at roadside rest areas the rubbish bins are overflowing or lids dont shut letting birds / wildlife get into them.

Craig1 · Guru

Once upon a time, MacDonald's franchisees were subject to a big penalty for ANY rubbish within a designated radius from their store. They had a designated clean up team several times a day. That was a fact in the day.

sir alvisar · Member

Hi possum

Thank you for posting - What this amazing couple do actually cost them money and can only be possible by the generosity of the communities they volunteer to clean up (through a spot to park their vehicle , access to water and occasionally power)

This young couple are totally self funded - shortly to be featured on channel 9 SUNRISE ( they receive sponsorship from some amazing companies for tyres, camping equipment etc ) - while their peers have been buying / saving for a house they have been seeing some amazing country and cleaning up the country side that fellow travellers have used as their private dumping ground ( must stress only a small minority - most do the right thing)

If you would like to know more about what they do click on the link

https://outbackcleanupsaustralia.com/