How to organise an
international coastal
cleanup
Registration
• You will be invited to return to your site
• Advantages:
– early-bird priority registration,
– experience, thus less effort in preparation
– familiarity with the site, better safety
– enhance your programme in small steps each year
Registration
• Check for available sites at:
http://iccs-status.rafflesmuseum.net
• Explore site using the map:
• http://iccs-map.rafflesmuseum.net
• Register your location at:
• http://iccs-registration.rafflesmuseum.net
Objectives for Organisers
• 0 – Be clear about your objectives.
• 1 – A SAFE and EFFICIENT cleanup
• 2 – Educate before your cleanup (marine life.
plastic debris).
• 3 – Post cleanup analysis
• 4 – Be Green
How does an Organiser prepare?
1.Recce of cleanup site
2.Register and brief participants
3.Logistics
4.Transport
5.Data Collection
6.Communication
1. Recee of the cleanup site
The SITE RECCE is a critical step before
cleanup to evaluate the actual situation as
this influences how you manage your cleanup
and allows you to address safety issues.
AFTER you have conducted your Site Recce,
do chat with your Zone Captain about details
– they visit these sites every year.
1. Recee of the cleanup site
Things to prepare before a site recce 1. Obtain a map of the area from:
Google Maps
Streetdirectory maps
NParks webpage
2. The tidal level of the recce should be the
same as the ICCS date; use Mobile
Geographics
1. Recee of the cleanup site
1.1 - Accessibility of site
How to get there? Describe.
What is the distance between the carparks /
bus-stops and the site. Mark on a map.
Is there a place for vehicles to wait?
Where are the boundaries of the site?
How large is it?
Location and boundaries of the site
Are there any landmarks in the area? Bus-stops?
Meeting Points and facilities?
Use Google Maps.
1. Recee of the cleanup site
1.2 - Meeting Point and facilities.
Where is the “Meeting Point”?
In parks, take note of sign post numbers and
mark those on a map; these are used by
police, ambulance and NParks.
Where are the nearby shelters in case of bad
weather?
Where are the nearby toilets?
How long to actually get there?
Some sites may be far away from the bus depot. It is important to
gauge on the time taken to walk to the site so that organisers can
determine on reporting time and leaving time.
1. Recee of the cleanup site
1.3 - Trash
a. What is the estimated trash load? (How
many can work the site)
b. Where is the Trash Collection Point?
Where you accumulate and weigh trash.
c. Where is the Trash Disposal Point? Where
you leave trash bags behind for NEA
contractors to pickup. Usually near a bin
centre or rubbish collection point.
What is the trash load like?
How many people can effectively work the site for 90mins?
The Trash Collection Point/Weighing Station
Trash Collection Point(/s) should be located at a convenient and
appropriate distance from the cleanup site.
Weighing stations can set up at several TCPs to facilitate the removal of
trash from a heavy load sites and consolidated later to at a single Trash
Disposal Point.
1. Recee of the cleanup site
1.4 - Safety
Identify safety concerns, e.g. hornets, snakes
or lots of glass or syringes. Steep slopes,
slippery rocks, suitability for children.
Look for locations of rain shelters.
You and your assistants must know the best
routes to the nearest hospital location in
case of an emergency.
How does an Organiser prepare?
1.Recce of cleanup site
2.Register and brief participants
3.Logistics
4.Transport
5.Data Collection
6.Communication
2. Recruiting participants
Number of participants are determined by
the trash load of a particular site and its
ability to accommodate participants.
The Zone Captains usually help to determine this during Site Allocation
exercise.
2. Recruiting participants
Suggestion – use Google Forms
How does an Organiser prepare?
1.Recce of cleanup site
2.Register and brief participants
3.Logistics
4.Transport
5.Data Collection
6.Communication
3.1 – Step 1. Organise your manpwer
after they have signed up
 E.g. 40 participants = 10 teams
 1 team = 1 Data recorder + 3 Trash Collectors
 1 Group leader (safety and mgmt)
 1 Data Manager
 1 Weighing/Loading I/C(ref. recce)
 1 Photographer
3.2 – Step 2. Prepare enough data cards
3.3 – Step 3. Get other supplies
•
•
•
•
Gloves
Tough Trash Bags
Weighing scale
First-aid kit
3.3 Gloves Are Important!
• Protects hands from
very dirty or oil-soaked
items
• BUT, gloves do not
provide protection from
sharp items e.g. needles
• So, be careful when
picking up items!
3.4 Beach cleanups with low trash load do not
require many trash bags. Volunteers can bring
their own plastic bags.
How does an Organiser prepare?
1.Recce of cleanup site
2.Register and brief participants
3.Logistics
4.Transport
5.Data Collection
6.Communication
4. Transport
Organisers may be responsible to
provide transport for participants.
Find out the time taken to depart and
arrive at the site - plan accordingly.
Is there parking space – avoid difficult
spaces too!
How does an Organiser prepare?
1.Recce of cleanup site
2.Register and brief participants
3.Logistics
4.Transport
5.Data Collection
6.Communication
Know your trash!
5. Data Collection
At the end of the cleanup, data cards are
to be collected and consolidated by the
data manager before submitting to the
site captain.
How does an Organiser prepare?
1.Recce of cleanup site
2.Register and brief participants
3.Logistics
4.Transport
5.Data Collection
6.Communication
6. Communication
 It is important to identify a photographer to
contribute to the event by taking:
a. close up of participants,
b. essential cleanup activities (eg. data recording)
In order to do this, the photographer must be
briefed about the cleanup as well.
 Encourage participants to blog, twitter,
facebook
On the day of Cleanup
WHAT HAPPENS?
Pre-Cleanup Briefing for Participants
• Mark attendance
• Break out into groups
• Assign Team Leader,
Data Recorders, etc
• Ensure sufficient data
cards and trash bags
• Distribute gloves
Safety Briefing (1)
• Keep away from any oil drums found
• Beware of broken glass, fishing hooks, syringes
and other sharp objects
• Always use gloves to pick up things
Safety Briefing (2)
• Do not open any bottles found, they may
contain poison
• Take care of your back! Have someone to
help you carry heavy trash bags together
Safety Briefing (3)
• Avoid bushy areas as there may be hornet
nests
• When there is lighting and thunder, stop work
immediately and seek shelter
• Drink enough water to prevent dehydration or
heat stroke
Safety Briefing (4)
• Watch where you step.
• Watch what you are picking up!
Walk to the designated sites in teams!
Team works
• Collecting, categorizing and recording trash
Categorize & Record Data Carefully!
• Data collected might be
used to influence
legislation on marine laws.
• It is used in media
campaigns.
• It is used to encourage
action from the grassroots.
• Your data is IMPORTANT.
Please ensure participants
record data accurately.
Weigh the trash bags!
Be accurate!
Bring Trash to a Trash Collection Point
Trash from Trash Collection Points (TCPs)
will be transported to the Trash Disposal
Point (TDP) pre-arranged with a trash
disposal company through your Zone
Captains.
Zone Captains will liase with NEA and /or
NParks for some of you
Ensure all data is properly
recorded on Data Cards
• Note down:
– Total weight
– Total number of
trash bags
– Total area covered
(check with Site
Coordinator or
Google Maps)
Consolidate Data
• Every three cards are counted
into one NEW card if neccessary
(so bring extra)
• Continue until there is only one
card per SITE
• Which site are you in? Clearly
indicate on the card
• Do you know the total number of
people working on the card?
• The total distance/area covered?
• It’s IMPORTANT!
Consolidate and Submit Data
to the Data Manager the same day
In Singapore, consolidated data is verified
the same day and uploaded from public
access (expect a phone call from us)
http://coastalcleanup.nus.edu.sg/results
What do volunteers think?
Share the cleanup report summary with
volunteers and facilitate a discussion based on
personal thoughts about the issue
Share your photos and stories
Email them to:
iccsphotos@rafflesmuseum.net
iccsblog@rafflesmuseum.net
We will cover this in detail at the
ICCS Briefing
– send us your photographers and bloggers.
Leaving the site
IS EVERYONE WITH YOU?