Remove 1 million pieces of rubbish from New Zealand beaches and waterways in four years.
How are we doing so far?
As at the end of September 2011, our staff had picked up 782,790 pieces of rubbish.
Why does this matter?
It’s important that our kids, and future generations, experience New Zealand’s wonderful coastline. That means we can’t treat the ocean as a giant rubbish tip.
How big is the problem?
A 2006 study found an average of 21kg of rubbish per 1.6km of New Zealand beach.*
According to the Ministry for Environment 62.3% of our ocean-going sea birds are listed as threatened.
Plastic and other inorganic waste can entangle and choke seabirds, seals and dolphins.
Marine debris stays in the environment for a very long time as it's hard to break down;
orange peel
2 years
cigarette butts
1-5 years
plastic bags
20-50 years
tin cans
50 years
aluminium cans
80-100 years
plastic bottles
250 years
glass
1 million years
What is Westpac doing right now?
We're rolling up our sleeves and working with communities to help clean up our coastlines, in partnership with the Sir Peter Blake Trust. We also continue to help the Trust roll out its Care for our Coast programme to local schools, businesses and community groups.
The information on this page is presented subject to our legal page and any other terms and conditions that Westpac may impose from time to time. It is subject to change without notification.
