FOCUS ON A CLEAN CITY

THERE’S a certain irony in the fact that one of the villains targeted in campaigns to clean up the environment and stop the oceans becoming a soup of plastic particles could also prove to be a saviour.

The humble plastic bag that consumers use in their millions when shopping at grocery chains and other stores does indeed pose a huge threat.

But if every Gold Coaster carried one around with them each day until they are phased out, or some other receptacle, and used it to store litter found on the beach, in the streets or parks, and deposited the rubbish in a council bin, our city and the world would look a lot brighter.

In relative terms, the Gold Coast enjoys a clean environment when compared to most cities around the world. Our skies are a clean blue, our ocean remains healthy and our beaches and streets are generally clean. But we can do better.

The city council and Clean Up Australia Day founder Ian Kiernan are pushing that message and urging the Gold Coast population to get on board the clean-up on March 4.

The council is putting its money where its mouth is. Cleaning and maintenance teams are gearing up for around-the-clock operations for the Commonwealth Games. Waves of workers and trucks will crisscross the city, emptying bins, scrubbing toilets and barbecues, and ensuring the hundreds of extra portable toilets brought in to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of visitors are monitored and cleaned.

Gold Coasters should not leave the task to the city’s waste and cleaning staff though. We can all do our bit on Clean Up Australia Day. We all see bits of rubbish as we walk along our sandy shores or walk from the car park or tram to our workplace each day, or down to the corner store.

But why wait until March 4? We can make a difference by starting right now, and as pride grows in a super clean environment, stick to the habit after our showpiece Games are over.