Western Bay residents are being encouraged to don gloves and help clean up our shoreline this Sunday.

Part of Envirohub's Sustainable Backyards month, people are invited to meet at seven different locations from 9am-12pm in what's being considered a regional first, says regional event coordinator Diana Donker.

The event also concludes the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education's Seaweek 2017, which aims to inspire Kiwis to renew their connections with the sea.

Diana says the main is to create awareness that it's time for Kiwis to take action and pick up the rubbish on our beaches because plastic doesn't disappear.

'Every piece of plastic made is still existing on the planet – so we need to make sure we dispose of it in a proper way.

'We also want to create the awareness that we are all responsible to take care of the beaches and make sure they are clean.

'It's really simple – just taking a plastic bag with you to the beach picking up a few bits of rubbish.”

Diana says a lot of rubbish is blown from carparks, playgrounds and grassed areas onto beaches. And estuaries are expected to house more rubbish – 'because these are areas people don't go to that often, and due to tidal conditions”.

But she expects the main items beach cleaners will find this Sunday will be plastic bags and plastic bottles.

'A plastic bag floating through the air with a bit of wind can travel quite a few kilometres. 'And there will be heaps of little pieces of plastic that were once something bigger but have broken down and washed up on beaches.”

And plastic has a very detrimental impact on beach and ocean wildlife. 'For example, a turtle's favourite snack is jellyfish – and if you've seen a plastic bag floating through the water it resembles a jellyfish.

'So turtles digest a lot of plastic because they think it is food.”

Diana says many landcare and environmental groups and individuals in the Western BOP already do their part to keep their own patches clean. 'But we can all do our bit to help.

'As you can see Mount Maunganui was rated one of the best beaches globally and we have many more beautiful beaches throughout the Western BOP – so we need to keep them clean.”

This Sunday people can just turn up at one of the seven locations to help. Clean ups are organised for Waihi Beach from the north end to Orokawa Bay, Anzac Bay, Tuapiro Reserve and MacMillan Reserve in Katikati, Ferguson Park, Omokoroa Domain and Kaituna Cut Reserve in Maketu.

'We've been able to put this event together with help from many volunteers including Keep Tauranga Beautiful, Maketu Ongatoro Wetland Society, Katikati Boating Club, Omokoroa Environmental Managers, Waihi Beach Environment Society, Tauranga City Council, Enviro Katikati, Western BOP District Council and Department of Conservation."

Organiser will provide gloves and rubbish bags. 'And we will dispose of the rubbish afterwards.”

And while Diana doesn't think our beaches are in bad shape, she advises 'think about what you're taking to the beach”. 'Only take pictures and only leave footprints.”

Sustainable Backyards is a programme of events organised annually during March to promote the environment throughout the Bay of Plenty.

For more information, email Diana at: [email protected] or phone 0212543343.