The sale of bags made by Boomerang Bags Noosa volunteers has over the years funded movie screenings and other educational programs, including $500 seed funding to establish the Plastic Free Noosa initiative, but recently Boomerang Bags decided to focus its financial assistance on one group, with Ocean Crusaders selected as the worthy recipient.
A recent donation of $2,200 helped Ocean Crusaders purchase a new portable beach and bank vacuum cleaner to use on their regular ‘Paddle Against Plastic’ waterway clean-ups.
Ocean Crusaders Founder and Director, Ian Thomson, said the Greystone Vacuum was a great asset to help collect micro plastics that are generally harder to collect at clean up events.
“We would like to thank the Boomerang Bags (BBN) volunteers who meet every Monday and Wednesday to make bags that not only reduces the use of plastic bags but now help to fund our regular Paddle Against Plastic events. It’s truly a win-win situation for us and the environment,” Mr Thomson said.
BBN has also provided $2,000 to help fund two clean-up events on the Noosa River each year.
BBN Project Manager Sandra Acheson said the group’s relationship with Ocean Crusaders stemmed from the involvement of local BBN volunteers and champions Mark and Maura Harvey, who have been part of the group since its inception in 2015.
“Mark and Maura have since spread their wings and joined Ocean Crusaders, organising waterway clean up events across Australia,” Sandra said.
“They featured in the ABC’s War on Waste series earlier this year when they participated in the Yarra River clean up in Melbourne, which removed almost 5.2 tonnes of waste from the river.”
Ocean Crusaders work hand in hand with Tangaroa Blue to collect data at the clean up events, with all rubbish collected sorted and entered into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database which is an essential key to source reduction programs.
This week, Tangaroa Blue was successful in securing the Federal Government’s Reef Trust Great Barrier Reef Marine Debris funding. Along with AMDI partners Conservation Volunteers Australia, Ocean Crusaders, Eco Barge CleanSeas, AUSMAP, OceanWatch Australia and Reef Check Australia, they will be working with local councils, community groups, traditional owners, businesses and community members over the next five years focusing on both the removal and prevention of marine debris.
Boomerang Bags Noosa is proud to be part of this environmental movement of groups helping to look after our beautiful environment.
About Boomerang Bags
Since its inception in Burleigh Heads in 2013, the Boomerang Bags movement has continued to grow at a tremendous pace and there are now more than 860 communities in more than 15 countries!
Boomerang Bags Noosa (BBN) was the first Sunshine Coast community, but we now have groups operating in Pomona, Gympie, Cooloola, Eumundi, Coolum, Yandina, Nambour, Caloundra, Beerwah, Glass House Mountains and Bribie Island.
Boomerang Bags Noosa bag sewing workshops are held every Monday and Wednesday morning from 9am to 1pm at the Noosa Arts and Crafts Association, Wallace House, Wallace Drive, Noosaville. No sewing experience necessary and all sewing machines and overlockers are supplied. Join the Boomerang Bags Noosa Facebook group to keep up to date with the latest BBN news.
