PETALING JAYA, Feb 18 ― Malaysia is one of the biggest sources of ocean plastic pollution according to research conducted by WWF.

Our picturesque Malaysian beaches aren’t as pristine as they once were, now covered with plastic litter as a result of our own high plastic packaging consumption.

In a bid to help restore our oceans and beaches, environmental conservation organisation Seven Clean Seas is set to cross over the Causeway this weekend for their first “clean up” in Malaysia.

The Singapore-based organisation started out as a social enterprise two years ago, made up of ocean lovers, with a mission to remove plastic pollution from oceans and coastlines.

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Seven Clean Seas founder Tom Peacock-Nazil said in a press release that he has been eager to come down to Malaysia and help clean its coastlines.

The team plans to visit other polluted beaches in Malaysia, like the one in Johor Baru pictured here. ― Picture via Facebook/Seven Clean Seas
The team plans to visit other polluted beaches in Malaysia, like the one in Johor Baru pictured here. ― Picture via Facebook/Seven Clean Seas

“This location (Remis Beach) has been on our radar for a while and it needs a lot of help!” said Nazil.

“The global plastic pollution crisis is getting worse. As a keen traveller, I have visited tonnes of beaches all over the world and plastic pollution is a problem everywhere.”

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The organisation also noted that it is predicted that 12.7 million metric tonnes of plastic will end up in oceans worldwide this year alone -- that’s the equivalent of an entire garbage truck of plastic entering the ocean every minute!

Having removed 50,000 kilogrammes of plastic waste from Singapore’s coastlines to date, Seven Clean Seas now plans to help clean Malaysia’s coastlines, starting with Remis Beach in Jeram, Selangor on Saturday, February 22.

'Seven Clean Seas' also hold educational talks and informative sessions with their volunteers during clean-ups. ― Picture via Facebook/Seven Clean Seas
'Seven Clean Seas' also hold educational talks and informative sessions with their volunteers during clean-ups. ― Picture via Facebook/Seven Clean Seas

Excited for their first-ever cleanup in Malaysia, Nazil has urged locals to join in and lend a helping hand during their Big Beach Clean Up this weekend.

“We started running volunteer beach clean-up events in Singapore and the response was incredible. So, we want to try and start more regular clean-ups in Malaysia,” said Nazil.

Clean Seas’ Big Beach Clean-Up will start at 11 am and the organisation has encouraged all enthusiastic volunteers to meet up at the Pantai Remis Food Court first for a safety briefing.

If you’re not really a down and dirty person you can still contribute by buying a Seven Clean Seas bracelet. ― Picture via Facebook/Seven Clean Seas
If you’re not really a down and dirty person you can still contribute by buying a Seven Clean Seas bracelet. ― Picture via Facebook/Seven Clean Seas

If you’re too busy to make it down to Remis Beach this weekend but still want to help out in some way, Seven Clean Seas is also raising funds to support their clean-up initiatives by selling bracelets.

The organisation has promised to remove one kilogramme of plastic from the ocean for every bracelet sold.

“Our Seven Clean Seas bracelet sales generate funds to scale up our ocean clean up operations,” said Nazil.

“It will also allow us to employ full-time staff, hold more beach clean-up events and work internationally to combat the global ocean plastic pollution problem.”

For more information about Seven Clean Seas’ Big Beach Clean-Up this weekend, you can visit their Facebook page or surf over to https://sevencleanseas.com/.