During the most recent event at Bonny Hills, some 50 volunteers – many of them newcomers – converged on Rainbow Beach for a morning cleaning up after others.

As has been the case over the previous three events, the number of cigarette butts picked up was by far the highest category.

Co-founder Liam McAlary praised the volunteers who turned up on the day, including the 30 new people who joined for the day.

“I think getting people to come to Port Macquarie all the time can be difficult so I think today’s volunteers appreciated us coming to Bonny Hills for the day,” he said.

“To think that we have had about 200 volunteers in total for the four events so far is wonderful. I would be ecstatic if we could have 50 volunteers to each event.

“I believe that people really do care about what is being put into our oceans and waterways.

“Our next aim is to get a more community feel to the clean-ups.”

According to the data from the day there were, 200 cigarette butts and filters picked up with 62 straws and confection sticks while there were 61 plastic drink bottles.

In plastics, there were 43 shopping bags, 30 pieces of plastic packaging along with 149 pieces of hard plastic while there was some 40 metres of fishing line.

There were 121 glass beer stubbies and 80 pieces of glass or ceramic (broken), 100 aluminium cans, and 158 foil wrappers and packets.

Sixty two metal bottle caps were also collected.

There were 108 newspapers or magazines, two pallets, 15 pieces of rubber footwear and three batteries.