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Cleanup Day: Sample Programme

** Please adjust programme accordingly

Cleanup Day: Example of an Onsite Briefing

Before You Start

  1. Share with participants the significance of what they are doing.
  2. Explain why they must work in teams and have each team member rotate their roles.
  3. Explain how the data card and data recording works.
  4. Tell participants to ask for help when unsure about the category of trash items.
  5. Conduct a briefing on personal safety. Inform everyone where the first-aid station is.
  6. Go through the list of dos and don'ts.
  7. Inform everyone where the Trash Collection Point is.
  8. Ensure everyone is aware of your itinerary.

After You Finish

  1. Get teams to total up the data card information and tell them to prepare for a short presentation of about 1 min per group.
  2. If you have time and your participants are creative, tell them to think of imaginative ways to share their findings, e.g. as a Top-10 Countdown or a simple rap/rhyme.
  3. Have all return all their data cards to your data I/C.

Cleanup Day: Checklist for Organisers

A summarised checklist to help you organise a smooth cleanup

Administration and Preparation

  Indemnity forms completed and signed by participants
  Transport arranged
  Programme drawn up
  First-aid team assigned
  Informed participants on reporting time
  Informed participants on attire and personal belongings
  Informed participants to bring along pen and clipboards
  Informed participants to bring along some used plastic shopping bags
  Informed participants to bring along their own refillable and reusable water bottles
  Informed participants to bring along their own snacks
  "Green" food and water arrangements done
  Group leaders (adults) assigned

Items Needed

  Site map
  First aid kits
  Heavy reinforced cotton gloves
  Used plastic shopping bags
  Biodegradable trash bags
  Trowels and Penknives
  Weighing scale
  Pens and clipboard (participants can bring their own)
  Camera

On Cleanup Day: Starting the Cleanup

  Participants divided into teams
  Data recording and safety briefing done
  Collection point assigned
  Informed participants about programme and reporting times

On Cleanup Day: After the Cleanup

  Asked teams to weigh litter, collate total litter findings
  Asked teams to prepare and present a short presentation
  Gloves washed and dried and manpower all accounted for
  Submitted results to Zone Captain (in person) or Data Manager (via the web)

Before Cleanup Day: For Organisers

  1. Your Zone Captain will contact you. Do ask for advice about the site if needed.
  2. Visit the Cleanup Site. Identify the Assembly Point, Trash Collection Points and First-Aid station. Identify possible hazards and envisage potential difficulties that you may encounter on the clean-up day, and how to overcome them.
  3. Conduct an assembly talk on (i) why we do the cleanup, and (ii) how we do the cleanup. Power point slides can be downloaded at the Download page
  4. Prepare indemnity forms for all your participants and ensure they have signed their forms.
  5. Parental approval is required for participants under 16 of age.
  6. Conduct a briefing for your group leaders. A ratio of 1 leader to about 15 participants is strongly recommended for participants below 16 years old.
  7. Arrange the time and pickup location with a bus transport company. You will probably spend 4 hours at your cleanup site.
  8. Draw up a programme for the day. A sample programme is attached.
  9. Have a proficient first-aid team with well-equipped first-aid kit.
  10. Have fun with the cleanup!

List of equipment:

  1. DATA CARDS (1:5 participants)
  2. PENS and CLIPBOARDS
  3. Heavy reinforced COTTON GLOVES
  4. Used PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS
  5. Large industrial strength TRASH BAGS (biodegradable if possible)
  6. TOWELS and SCISSORS
  7. WEIGHING SCALES
  8. CAMERAS

Important: Avoid Disposable Items. Be Green, Live Blue!

On Cleanup Day — Before Cleanup Begins

  1. Account for all your participants. Know the leaders. You should have a name-list of all your leaders and participants.
  2. Your participants should already be organized into data collection teams of at least 4 people before arrival at site. The Team Roles are:
    1. 1 data-recorder — records type of trash collected.
    2. 2 data collectors — pick and count off litter types and numbers.
  3. Rotate the roles in each team to sustain interest.
  4. Conduct an onsite briefing for the participants before the cleanup starts. The briefing should include:
    1. A recap of the objectives of cleanup.
    2. The program for the day.
    3. The correct method of data recording.
    4. Safety during cleanup.
    5. Operation Guidelines.
    6. Trash collection point.
  5. Notify all teams to gather and bring their trash to the designated Trash Collection Point. Have a trash collection team to transfer completed trash bags from the data collection team to the collection point.
  6. Have the weighing team record the weight of trash at the Trash Collection Point.

During Cleanup — Data Recording and Cleanup Guidelines

Inform your participants:

  1. Count in groups of five — ten
  2. Maximise writing space by making small slashes on the data card, as space is limited. You can also provide them with more cards but ensure proper numbering, e.g. "1 of 3."
  3. Ensure the participants add up and write on the data card the number of each item found at the end of the cleanup. Remember only numbers can be counted and put into the computer.
  4. Tell the participants to name all stranded animals and the items trapping them in the "Entangled Animals" section, if any are found.
  5. During the cleanup, have your leaders to go round motivating each team with questions on things they have found and also stimulate discussion by requesting each team to explain the sources of the trash on the shores.
  6. Leave natural items on the beach like driftwood, mangrove seeds and seaweed.
  7. Avoid stepping on beach grass and plants. They bind the sand and prevent erosion.
  8. Finally, get the data I/C in each team to total up the number of items collected in their card. Ask the data I/Cs to gather into groups of three and consolidate their data into one new card. Continue until a single card has consolidated the data for the entire Site.
  9. Return the consolidated data card for your school/organisation to your Zone Captain or send it to the ICCS Data Manager at: HKICCData@ecovisionasia.com
  10. Your data will be uploaded to the HKICC webpage within days!

After Cleanup

  1. Have everyone wash their gloves in freshwater and rinse them out. Dry them completely in the hot sun. Have a team to turn over the gloves to sun both sides. When cool, pack the gloves into double layer plastic bags, seal them in with a dehumidifier and label the package with the number of pairs of gloves and the event name. This way, you can use them for years.
  2. Conduct a debrief and include a discussion of the consolidated data for your site.
  3. Ensure all your participants are physically present; do not rely on hearsay. You do not want to leave people behind!
  4. If the Zone Captain is not with you, send the completed data to the Data Manager via email (HKICCdata@ecovisionasia.com) using the Excel spreadsheet provided.
  5. Do this on the same day, as all your data will be added to Hong Kong's total which we will circulate to the media the same weekend. After verification, Hong Kong's data will be submitted to the International Coordinator at The Ocean Conservancy, USA.
  6. If you have taken digital photos, burn the images onto a CD and send a copy to the Data Manager. We will upload the photos to the HKICC web page. Participants will be able to share with friends and family their effort!

After the Cleanup Day — Back at company/school/organization

  1. Review the session with the participants, view the photos and data on the web page and look out for the final results.
  2. You may put up a notice board with photos and comments from the exercise.
  3. Analyse the types of trash and ask simple questions, e.g. on where this pollution comes from.
  4. You will receive the final results on CD and online
  5. Share the results with your company/school/organisation and ask students to prepare a presentation based on the experience, their results, and the national results.
  6. Write to the HKICC Coordinator about any materials that you may have produced or programmes that you have started as a result of this exercise.
  7. You may request for a slide talk to be given to the school/organisation in December or the early part of the following year.
  8. The HKICC Coordinator will keep you updated of progress on further action with the results of the cleanup.

Be Green, Live Blue!

  1. Leave natural items alone on the beach.
    These include driftwood, shells and coral, dead fish and crabs, mangrove seeds and seaweed.
  2. Don't pluck vegetation and avoid stepping on beach grass/plants.
    These plants bind the sand and prevent erosion, and also provide wildlife with food and homes.
  3. Recycle used plastic bags to hold trash.
    Old bags can be used, instead of brand new trash bags.
  4. Don't litter.
    You are there to help remove litter, not to add more litter.
  5. Save a bottle.
    Bring along your own refillable water bottle.

For Your Safety

  1. Keep away from any oil drums found.
    These may contain dangerous liquids or poisonous vapours. Just report the total number and ny labels seen to the coordinator. We will alert EPD about disposal.
  2. Broken glass, fishing hooks, syringes and other sharp objects.
    They are common on beaches. Some fishes like the stingray have a sharp, poisonous spine.
  3. Always use your gloves to pick up things.
  4. Do not open any bottles you find; they may contain poison.
  5. Take care of your back!
    Have a friend to help you lift heavy things together. If it is too heavy, let it be!
  6. Avoid bushy areas, as there may be hornet nests.
  7. When there is lightning and thunder, stop work immediately and seek shelter.
  8. Drink enough water to prevent heat stroke.

What to bring? What to wear?

  1. Wear shoes. No Slippers or sandals.
  2. Wear a cap and put on some sun-block lotion (> SPF 15).
  3. Use insect repellent against mosquitoes and sandflies.
  4. Bring along a poncho or raincoat.

After the cleanup, spread the word. Tell friends, teachers and family members about what you did and what you learned.

THANK YOU for your help and interest in keeping Hong Kong's coastlines and oceans safe for all of us and for marine wildlife!

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