To maintain the sustaining beauty of the ocean, the Changhua Aquaculture Association, Changhua Wild Bird Society, Changhua County Environmental Protection League, and Changhua Coastal Park Service Center co-sponsored “2019 Changhua Coastal Plastic Free Campaign and Joint Beach Cleanup.” In the morning of the 22nd, it was held in four districts simultaneously: the north district (Shengang and Xianxi), central district (Fuxing and Fangyuan), south district (Dacheng), and Changhua Coastal Industrial Park (Lukang and Xianxi). The terrain of the cleanup covered from the mouth of the Dadu River in the north to the mouth of the Jhoushui River in the south. It summoned about 300 civil groups with more than 6,000 people to join the beach cleanup. Mayor Wang, Huei-Mei of Changhua County, the sponsor of the cleanup President Lin, Chao-Sui of Taiwan Mirror Glass Enterprise Co., Ltd. (TMG), Director Yang, Chin-Fu of the Changhua Aquaculture Association, Counsel and Executive Secretary Chen, Yi-Tun of the Changhua Aquaculture Association, and more gathered at Taiwan Hanbao Yuan Wetland Ecological and Creative Cultural Park to cheer for people participating in the beach cleanup. Mayor Wang expressed her gratitude for the beach cleaners for their contribution. She also advocated people to reduce the use of straws, plastic bags, and pet bottles to minimize the harm done to the ocean. Mayor Wang said that the beach cleanup was conducted in four districts along the coast of Changhua. With the collaboration of the force from both the central and local governments, public and private sectors, there were about 6,300 people, both adults and children, coming to clean up Changhua’s coast. It was hoped that with the beach cleanup, it would educate more folks with the concept of reducing the use of plastic. She encouraged people to join and maintain the best conditions of the coast so that the sea will become friendlier to people.
In each year, massive plastic waste, about 8 million tons, are washed onto the ocean. Mayor Wang would like to thank the volunteers for their participation in the beach cleanup. She feels glad that all participants joined their hands to take care of Changhua’s coastline. The government encourages groups and institutions to adopt the coastline. Up to now, about the total length of 36.9km of the Changhua coast has been adopted by 19 institutions. By the end of August in 2019, about 102 beach cleanups were held in Changhua, cleaning up about 111 metric tons of garbage. It is believed that by sponsoring beach cleanups, it can make the ocean cleaner, providing marine life with a better environment for their growth. At the same time, our living environment will become better as well. By educating the next generation, let us protect Taiwan’s coastline together.
The sponsor of the cleanup President Lin, Chao-Sui of Taiwan Mirror Glass Enterprise Co., Ltd. pointed out that there has been plenty of garbage contaminating the island and bringing catastrophes to the ecology. Therefore, TMG has sponsored beach cleanups for many years. In the third lunar month this year, the beach cleanup mobilized 1,200 people, gaining the attention of the central government. Therefore, many government agencies joined the “2019 Changhua Coastal Plastic Free Campaign and Joint Beach Cleanup.” In this beach cleanup, there were more than 6,000 people to clean up Changhua’s coastline in four districts. It was the largest beach cleanup in the history of Taiwan. It is hoped that the beach cleanup can transform Changhua into the prettiest demonstration zone for coasts in towns and cities, townships, and villages in Taiwan. The beach cleanup is expected to become a role model and alert people living in Taiwan to value this piece of land more. Let each county and city clean up beaches. Let’s join our hands to clean up beaches in Taiwan.
To avoid micro plastic entering the food chain and getting into human bodies through drinking water, in autumn every year, Changhua will hold a large-scale beach cleanup to allow people to understand how seriously humans have damaged nature. It also poses a question to people about where the marine garbage comes from, so that people will change their consumption habits and avoid using disposable products to protect the survival and safety of marine life.