Clean Up Cook Islands Day was held earlier this month to coincide with the World Clean Up Day theme ‘Artic Cities and Marine Litter’. The aim this year was to inspire communities to combat waste and pollution while promoting sustainable practices. Over 800 volunteers from communities, schools, public and private sectors in Rarotonga and in the Pa Enua participated in the annual event in a collaborative effort to keep our paradise clean and green – Ipukarea Tumanava.
NES witnessed an alarming increase of waste collected at this year’s event. Almost each category weighed three or four times more than previous years. Apart from general waste, glass bottles were recorded the second highest in every group’s collection, particularly from our schools. A total of 835kg was collected in Rarotonga alone. This was more than double of what was collected in 2023 (357kg). A total of 386.5kg of general waste, 80kg of plastic bottles, 79.5kg of aluminum cans, 190.5kg glass bottles and 98.5kg of miscellaneous items which included scrap metals, building supplies and half of a canoe, was collected from the organisations who registered.
NES Senior Finance Officer Tohoa Puna notes, “Our children from Takitumu School collected 62.5kgs of waste, 24kgs were of glass bottles. 98% of those were alcohol bottles, this is disheartening to see, and something our children should not be picking up”. Similarly, NES Aitutaki Officer Linda Ruamoana also noted that it was astounding, the amount of waste that our school children picked up was adult rubbish, in particular alcohol bottles and cans.
We want to encourage and remind everyone that we each have a responsibility to keep our Cook Islands clean, for our environment and our children.
NES extends its appreciation and gratitude to the dedicated groups who participated in this year’s Clean up the Cook Islands. We want to acknowledge the generous support from Cook Islands Trading Cooperation (CITC) and Prime Food who continue to provide sacks needed for the cleanup. We acknowledge our long-standing partner Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI), for their unwavering commitment to our shared environmental goals.
Our sincere thanks also go out to the following organisation and institutions for their invaluable support and contributions: CITC, Airport Authority, Te Marea Ora, Cook Islands Tourism, Tupapa Marearenga, Office of George Maggie, Club Raro + Edgewater Resort and Spa, and schools such as Apii Arorangi, Apii Avarua, Apii Nikao, Apii Rutaki, Apii Takitumu, Te Uki Ou School, Titikaveka College, Araura Primary, Apii Vaitau, Te Akaroa School, Apii Mauke, Tetautua and Omoka Schools (Tongareva), Mangaia School, and others, including Lilibeth Warren and Sheryl McEwen. Let us continue working together in preserving and promoting a cleaner, more sustainable Cook Islands for generations to come.
