Keep Australia Beautiful Week to focus on nation's waterways

Removing litter from waterways is the goal of this year's Keep Australia Beautiful Week, to be held at the end of August.

Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) Week is designed to remind people about the simple things they can do in their daily lives to reduce their impact on the environment.

In 2011, KAB Week will be held from Monday 22nd to Sunday 28th August and will focus on the need to help keep our waterways litter free. Keep Australia Beautiful will also be announcing the results of its annual National Litter Index during the week.

According to Keep Australia Beautiful spokeswoman, Lara Shannon, "about 80% of marine debris is from land based source with food and drink wrappers, cigarette butts and other litter being left on our beaches or reaching the ocean and rivers through run-off from storm water drains.

"This is an avoidable environmental problem so this year's campaign aims to bring the issue home to all Australians by showing the damaging effect this litter has on our waterways, and the direct impact it has on the health and safety of marine wildlife."

Local councils and businesses are being asked to download campaign posters to highlight the impact litter has on communities. They are also being invited to enter the Australian Sustainable Communities Awards consisting of the Tidy Towns, Sustainable Cities and Clean Beaches Awards.

Schools are being encouraged to help promote the message, with students and teachers being encouraged to get involved by creating marine animal 'litter art' displays, supported with litter facts and research.

The Hungry Jack's Bag It & Bin It program is the Principal Sponsor of KAB Week and will also support this message in-store with posters, trayliners and staff involvement to remind its customers of the need to dispose of their packaging waste responsibly.

For more information go to www.kab.org.au/

13th May 2011 - GOLD COAST’S TALLEBUDGERA BEACH NAMED AUSTRALIA’S CLEANEST BEACH