Rarotonga residents, including children and workers from the private and public sector, took time off school and work to participate in the National Environment Service Clean up the Cook Islands Day yesterday.

Several companies, resorts and schools organised clean-up walk on their properties and nearby areas, while CITC staff conducted a more extensive campaign, spending hours cleaning both inland and coastal areas of the town area.

CITC food group marketing and advertising coordinator, Esther Heather said although it was difficult getting staff out of their working hours to volunteer, close to 50 divided into two groups, managed to participate.

Heather explained that the most littering was found at the national port and on the beach side of the town area.

She said the town area had less rubbish to be collected.

“My group came from town and I did the middle strip and I literally picked up less than a bag of rubbish from the middle strip in between the two roads,” Heather said.

“Most of the rubbish is coming from the beach side so pretty much the town area itself and we’re pretty happy with that but it’s all the beach side and the washed-out rubbish that’s been picked up.

“I just heard from the person that’s leading the team up from the supermarket side, they said around the port is pretty bad but they’ve already come back and most of it is from the port.

“We decided this year with CITC, we’ve got a staff Olympics kind of challenge and each division has to either take up a course or do a sport or something to keep our teens fit so we’ve decided to do a clean-up day.

“It’s kind of hard to get everyone out during work hours but everyone rallied and got a couple of people from each division out.”

Of the over 30 CITC staff, half began collecting from the supermarket end, while the other half started collecting from the ANZ end. They were dressed in different Olympic colours: Food group, CITC Avarua, CITC Pharmacy, CITC liquor, satellite stores, building centre, maintenance divisions in their own colours.

The Island Hotels Limited resorts – The Edgewater Resort and Spa and Club Raro Resort – also participated in the clean-up.

Both resorts had staff out on the road and around the resorts contributing to keeping the island clean.

“It was still surprising how much rubbish is still out there! We are always happy to support any community efforts, and staff undertake these with enthusiasm,” said Jennie George, the human resource manager at The Edgewater Resort and Spa.

The staff were out with their rubbish bags since 8am, taking a 45-minute walk around the resort, laundry area, and driveway between Spaghetti House and the church, resort and villa grounds, beach area and roadside areas on the main road from Villa one down to the main driveway, plus surrounding areas.

Apii Takitumu also participated, using reusable bags and gloves provided by the National Environment Service. The Year 4, 5 and 6 classes picked up the rubbish around the outside of the school and the Matavera community area.

They found numerous cans, glass bottles, plastic bottles and general rubbish along the beach, main road and hedges.

“This was a great educational moment to learn about recycling and the dangers of trash in our environment. Please keep our island clean and trash free. E Pa Ki Te Rangi,” a school staff stated.

CITC’s Heather also urged the community to keep the environment and ocean litter free for the future generations.

“Don’t litter and make sure that you sort your rubbish and I think it’s good to remember that if there’s no bins around, just take your rubbish with you and not throw it outside the car as we see people from time to time throwing it out of their cars,” she said.

“It all ends up in the ocean as well so be wary of our beautiful marine environment that needs to be protected as well.”