Contents Introduction 4 Using this Manual 5 Cylume Sticks - General Information 6 Cylume Sticks Measurements & Details Cylume Sticks All Types 8 Cylume Sticks - Mini 9 Tags General Information 10 Tags Commercial 11-12 Tags Wildlife Tracking & Monitoring 13-14 Fishing Gear General Information 15 Fishing Gear Commercial Lobster 16-17 7 Fishing Gear Commercial Pot, Trap & Aquaculture 19 Fishing Gear Recreational 20 Farming Equipment 21-22 Plastic General Information 23 Plastic Hard - Moulded 24 Plastic Soft Flexible 25 Plastic Foamed 26 Plastic Lids Refined Counting 27 Plastic Very Small to Microscopic 28 Plastic - Resin Pellets - Nurdles 29 Strapping Tape General Information 30 Fishing Gear Commercial Trawling, Netting & Long Line 18 Strapping Tape Identification 31 2
Strapping Tape Taking Measurements & Details Shipping & Boating Debris General Information Shipping & Boating Debris Emergency & Lighting Gear 32 33 34 Buoys & Research Items 35 Marine Engine & Boat Parts 36 Oil General Information 37 Contents Help Protect Our Oceans From Marine Debris And Prevent More Than Oil Assessing & Reporting 38 Oil - Identification 39 Tar Balls 40 1 million Seabirds And 100,000 Marine Mammals Metal 41 E-Waste 42 Sorting, Counting & Disposal of Marine Debris & Hazardous Items Notes 48 43-47 From A Painful And Horrifying Death Every Year 3
Introduction Marine debris can be found in all the world s oceans. Plastic is the predominant material. From cigarette lighters to cylume sticks, from toys to food crates and from toothbrushes to mooring rope the range of debris reflects our universal use of plastics, and equally our ignorance of the nature of plastic as a pollutant, its proper recycling and disposal. Whether accidental or deliberate the incremental accumulation of plastic in the ocean and shore systems is having an increasingly serious and often fatal consequence for sea life and ecosystems. Dynamic as it is, the planetary ocean system circulates and mixes this debris, and over time breaks it down into smaller and smaller pieces. Plastic debris has the ability to seriously effect all parts of the marine ecosystem. These effects are not however equal everywhere. Within the dynamic ocean system there are places and times when debris is trapped in eddies or gyres. Often this coincides with a concentration of sea life and feeding activity with serious effects. For example, in breeding seabird colonies where parents mistake plastic debris for food and deliver this to their chicks. Coastlines are another of these places of accumulation. Here however the problem is both observable and accessible. It is here that we can gain a sense of the state of our nearby seas and oceans and the human impact on them. Observation and analysis of the debris coming ashore can improve our perception of the problem and our understanding of the processes at work. Accumulating data from beach clean ups provides a growing knowledge base for conducting public education and influencing changes of practice at both individual, community, industry and government levels. The aims of this manual are to identify items of marine debris, provide background information about them and identify groups of items which have a common origin. This is the second edition of the Marine Debris Identification Manual and now reflects marine debris which has been identified by volunteers during coastal clean ups in Western Australia, Queensland, New Zealand and Hawaii. The manual is intended to assist anyone interested in tackling the marine debris issue. We hope to be able to interact with places further afield as part of the development of this manual. The first edition of this manual was compiled by Wally Smith and Heidi Taylor with funding from the South West Catchments Council through the NRM Education Small Grants Scheme and the support of the Department of Environment and Conservation. This second edition is funded by a Caring for our Country grant and support from the Douglas Shire Sustainability Group. We would also like to thank the thousands of volunteers who have participated in Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society marine debris clean ups over the years, helping to reduce marine debris in our local environment. Protect Our Oceans! 4
Using this Manual The organisation of the manual is such that items can be identified individually or as part of a common source of items. This places the focus of this manual on ocean sourced items which may be unfamiliar to collectors as opposed to everyday litter. Keep in mind though that litter from land based sources accounts for about 80% of all ocean litter in global average terms*. *(www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris) If there is a handling hazard associated with an item or there is a government agency or other organisation interested in knowing about an item there will be a note and contact advice on the relevant page. This manual is intended as a broad guide to identifying items and may not be completely accurate in naming them. Some items of marine debris may be hazardous, use sensible precautions and protective clothing e.g. gloves and footwear. Contact local authorities if you are unsure about the handling of an item. Coastal areas may be dangerous. Be aware of changing ocean conditions, slippery rocks, unstable cliffs. Ensure your own safety and the safety of those around you. Some areas may contain hidden dangers, e.g. venomous snakes and spiders. Please act with due caution. When removing debris from the beach have a disposal plan worked out. If you find an unidentified item on the beach we would be happy to receive a photo and details about where and when it was found. To download a data sheet to record your debris findings at www.oceancare.org.au Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society Web: www.oceancare.org.au Email: tangaroablue@oceancare.org.au PO Box 1063, Dunsborough, WA 6281 PO Box 757, Port Douglas, QLD 4877 5
Cylume Sticks General Information Also known as light sticks and glow sticks. Uses: fishing, diving and various land based activities. Users: include professional (normally only used in pelagic long line tuna fishing) and amateur fishers, divers, campers. Also used by military, government and industry organisations and as a recreational toy. Made from: hard plastic enclosing a glass vial. After activation the stick will contain traces of hazardous chemicals. Hazards: cylume sticks especially in quantity are considered a hazardous waste in some countries. Their hard plastic body, fine glass vial and chemical contents represent a threat to any sea or bird life ingesting them. There are a range of chemicals in light sticks. Some of these are hazardous. The following entries cover cylume sticks that have been collected to date. New varieties and specific uses will be added as the information becomes available. If you find a new variety, please send a photo to Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society. 6
Cylume Sticks Measurements & Details Details to record Type - see following pages. Any writing on the cylume stick Length Colour Note: In this manual cylume sticks have been given type names to aid in identification. The types relate to the way the base is constructed. The type names are arbitrary. The design of the top may give a clue to its use. A B C D E F Base design of each cylume type G 7
Cylume Sticks All Types of Cylume Sticks 8
Cylume Sticks - Mini Chemical Lights Mini Cylume Sticks Lengths 37mm 75mm Specific use: recreational fishing Mini chemical light packets Mini Cylume Sticks lengths: -37mm -47mm -50mm -75mm Silica gel packet 9
Tags - General Information Tags used for commercial purposes Uses: identification, security, labelling. Users: widely used in cargo handling, industry and retailing. Made from: hard and soft plastics or metal, sometimes with micro-chips attached. Reporting: keep traceable tags in a safe place and advise Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society or the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) on 1800 021 098. Tags and Bands used for identifying wildlife being studied Uses: identification and tracking of wildlife. Users: scientific and wildlife organisations. Made from: hard and soft plastics or metal, sometimes with micro-chips attached. Reporting: advise Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society or contact the agency relevant to the type of tag (see next pages). We may not be able to provide information on all these types of tags. 10
Tags - Commercial Serial number #### Australian Quarantine issued tag Traceable tag Advise AMSA on 1800 021 098 Commercial marine survey group. This tag is related to their services. Non traceable. 11
Tags - Commercial Above: enviro control tag (Argentinean company - no other information to date) Left & above: Tamper-evident tag used when sealing containers and other cargo 12
Tags Wildlife Tracking & Monitoring Tags found attached to dead seabirds can be reported to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme phone (02) 6274 2407. More information on these tags, what to record and how to extract the tag from the bird safely are available online at http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/science/abbbs CCSBT Blue Fin Tuna tags can be sent to CCSBT, PO Box 37, Deakin West, ACT 2600. For more information contact (02) 6282 8396 or www.ccsbt.org 13
Tags Wildlife Tracking & Monitoring Right: F1000011 is a selection of PAT tags - pop up archival tags which float to the surface after a timed release mechanism operates. CSIRO Tags are used to track marine animals and seabirds. CSIRO Tags can be returned to: CSIRO Marine Research; GPO Box 1538, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000. Ph: (03) 6232 5222 http://www.cmar.csiro.au/tagging/tagtypes.htm Top: Vr2w acoustic listening station. Above: RIMG0003 is a floy tag, used on sharks and swordfish. Above: RIMG0004 is an archival tag. Left: DSCN0148 t-bar tags on the right (used to tag tuna & kingfish in WA), various acoustic tags on the left. 14
Fishing Gear General Information Fishing gear including recreational, lobster and open ocean commercial fishing accounts for a significant amount of marine debris, especially in areas close to fishing activity. Ghost nets, rope, strapping bands etc are capable of entangling and killing sea life while adding to the plastic load in the sea. A Ghost Net in California trapping marine mammals and sharks. Photo Below: (c) Save Our Seas Ltd./ Tom Campbell/Marine Photobank This debris collected at a more remote site shows a predominance of fishing gear from both commercial and recreational sources. 15
Fishing Gear - Commercial - Lobster Plastic lobster pot Bait lid Bait baskets Rope (soft plastic) Float (foamed plastic) Foamed plastic (polystyrene) floats Float savers (hard plastic) 16
Fishing Gear - Commercial Lobster This rope is 1-2 seasons old Old rope and scraps can form into tangles as they come into shore Plastic crate remnants from lobster and other fishing types Remnant wooden lobster trap 17
Fishing Gear - Commercial Trawling, Netting & Long Line Top Left: Drift & fish net accessories For more information on tracing nets download The WWF Net Kit from http://wwf.org.au/publications/the_net_kit/ Top Right: Net remnant Bottom Right: Monofilament net wedged in rocks Bottom Left: Shark line (rope) 18
Fishing Gear - Commercial Pot & Trap Above: Hag fish traps found in Hawaii. Photos by Dean Otsuki, Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i www.b-e-a-c-h.org. Photo above centre: A Hagfish. Resembling a cross between a snake and an eel, the 300 million- year-old hagfish have no jaws, only one nostril and can exude copious quantities of slime. They live in deep anti-tropical waters both in the North and Southern Hemisphere and are a delicacy in Korea where over 5 million pounds of hagfish meat are consumed each year. Hagfish traps are collected in large numbers during beach clean ups throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Aquaculture Left: Oyster spacers are used in the cultivation of oysters and found in huge numbers on the Hawaiian Islands during beach clean ups. 19
Fishing Gear - Recreational Above: Recreational floats have the owner s initials as well as their month & year of birth marked on them. Above: Fishing line tangles Above: Fishing floats Left: Bait Mates are a spool which initially comes with 25m of elastic binding material which is used to secure a single hook to a soft bait. Above: Fishing tackle and lures Above: New and deteriorated burly cages 20
Farming Equipment All these farming items were found during New Zealand beach clean ups. Dumping into rivers and runoff has washed these items down river systems and into the ocean vast distances from their original use. Above: Suction cups used in milking. Below: Cattle & sheep were found during beach clean ups after being dumped into rivers. Top right: Chemical drench containers Above: Insert for bringing cows into heat Right: Animal syringes 21
Farming Equipment Left: Ear tags for cattle and sheep Top Left: Tractor tyres Top Right: Irrigation piping 22
Plastic General Information Being lightweight and durable, plastics, once in the ocean system, can migrate anywhere and last for hundreds of years. As items break down and persist in the ocean the environmental threat posed increases. Plastics contain toxic chemicals related to their colouring, flexibility, durability and protection from micro-organisms to name a few. They also attract and accumulate toxic chemicals already in the water from sources such as pesticides. Plastic debris can be kilometres long discarded fishing lines or nets to very small (raw plastic pellets) to microscopically small particles. When handling plastic debris, the type of item is the guide to whether it presents a hazard. Syringes must be handled with care and you should avoid skin contact with cylume stick fluid. Large lengths of wet rope or plastic sheeting need to be handled carefully to avoid back strain and likewise, if there are hundreds of small plastic pieces to pick up, avoid bending down for long periods at a time. If any item is difficult to extract either get help or leave it. Often items will be freed up by changing conditions over time. If you find an item too large or heavy to remove contact Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society with the location, size and description of the item and we will inform relevant authorities to have it picked up. Plastics have been classified Hard Moulded, Soft Flexible or Foamed Plastic in the following examples. This can help the process of identifying a given plastic item, its use and origin. 23
Plastic Hard - Moulded Plastic lids Hard plastic medium sized pieces Hard plastic small sized items Typical winter haul of hard plastic pieces 24
Plastic Soft - Flexible Small soft plastic items Plastic strapping bands Balloons Stirrers, straws, lollypop sticks and cotton bud stems may appear similar, however cotton bud stems have notched ends. Rope Plastic bags, remnants and sheeting 25
Plastic - Foamed Polystyrene esky material breaks down quickly into potentially large numbers of small to tiny particles Foamed plastic insulation material (honeycomb appearance) Foamed plastic fishing floats break down slowly into chunky pieces 26
Plastic Lids refined counting to assess debris source Sources of lids Bleach & Cleaner Food & Beveridge Unknown Tetra Pak Lids / Milk / Juice / Concentrate Water Bottles Sorted plastic lids Sorting small plastic pieces and plastic lids into their original use types or origin types, whilst involving a bit of guesswork, can provide additional and more definite data Pens Personal Care & Pharmaceutical Unsorted plastic lids Unknown 33% Personal Care & Pharmacy 20% Bleach & Cleaner 17% Food & Beveridge 11% Tetra Pak 8% Water 8% Pens 2% 27
Plastic Very Small to Microscopic Polymer Monomer Plastics are polymers which are made up of individual units called monomers When plastic breaks down it does not degrade but simply becomes more and more pieces of the same material Chemicals in the plastic are joined by manmade chemicals in the seawater Plastic does not biodegrade into its different constituent parts but continually fragments into ever smaller particles. Fragmentation occurs through breakage, abrasion and photo degradation and releases a continuous stream of small to microscopic particles into the ocean system. This process has been occurring for more than 40 years. Many ocean creatures are now known to ingest plastic and they range from whales to turtles and seabirds and from lobster to plankton. Plastic fragments and especially plastic resin pellets (pre-production plastic) absorb manmade toxic chemicals from seawater and these affect sea life in a number of ways including intestinal blockages and interfering with endocrine system processes. 28
Plastic Resin Pellets - Nurdles Plastic Resin Pellets or Nurdles are the raw materials to which manufacturers add a variety of chemicals and heat to produce the required plastic product. Nurdles are 2 to 4mm sized pellets and may be barrel shaped or disk like. Plastic resin also comes in a powder form. Nurdles look very much like fish eggs and many sea creatures ingest them because of this. Nurdles have also recently been proved to attract and hold persistent organic pollutants (POP s). Plastic resin pellets are too small and numerous to clean up on a beach wide scale, but noting their occurrence and location will help build a picture of their distribution. For more information on plastic resin pellets visit International Pellet Watch who conduct global monitoring of resin pellets. http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~gaia/ipw/ 29
Strapping Tape (Strapping Bands) (Packaging Bands) General Information A lot of plastic strapping tape comes from commercial fishing or from shipping. It is used for bait packaging in the fishing industry. Strapping from shipping results from dumping rubbish at sea. There are also land based sources especially around river and drain outlets near ports and industrial areas. There are a significant number of colours and sizes of strapping tape as well as several different materials that packing tape is made of. Identifying the source of strapping debris is not a straightforward matter and so some measurements and observations about it are made. Uncut strapping tape can entangle sea mammals and as they grow the strapping constricts, then injures and eventually kills them. All strapping adds to the plastic load in the ocean. 30
Strapping Tape - Identification These are used widely for securing packaged goods and can come from fishing, shipping or land sources. Uncut strapping is especially hazardous to marine mammals. Strapping tape samples 31
Strapping Tape - Taking Measurements & Details Details to record about each strapping band: Cut or uncut Any markings or names on the tape Colour Width (measure in mm) Length (measure in m) Embossed or plain Type of strap - PP = Polypropylene (common type) PET = Polyester (thicker very strong strap) PP PET Detail of embossing Embossed Plain Embossed 32
Shipping & Boating Debris - General Information Since the 1970 s International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) www.imo.org legislation has been in place to stop the dumping of rubbish into the seas. This legislation covers shipping, fishing, commercial and recreational vessels in its various aspects. Despite this a significant amount of rubbish continues to be disposed of into the sea. The greater part of this rubbish is plastic. Oil or oily water is also intentionally and illegally dumped into the sea from time to time from ships. Drums of used oil also occasionally come ashore from unknown vessels. Plastic articles including fishing gear, plastic drink bottles, lotion bottles, plastic bags and so on continue to come ashore from fishing and recreational boating sources. Some articles which come ashore may look unusual or even suspicious (e.g. chemical drum or similar). If in doubt leave them alone and report the find and its location to the local police or rangers. Various types of buoys occasionally come ashore and these may sometimes be oceanographic monitoring devices. Reporting these can assist the particular research effort. Look for any indication about the buoy and its origin. 33
Shipping & Boating Emergency & Lighting Gear Emergency rations kit Lifebuoy light Battery operated light stick Life preserver Fire extinguisher 34
Buoys & Research Items Research buoys may have equipment onboard or suspended underneath Left: MetService Buoy from the Drifting Buoy Programme in New Zealand www.metservice.com Above: Wave monitor (CSIRO News Bulletin) Below and Right: Plastic float ex USA Above: Clearsat ocean buoy Above: Buoy of unknown origin and use 35
Marine Engine & Boat Parts Selection of marine engine parts and fittings Fibreglass boat part Boat electrical parts 36
Oil General Information Oil Uses: lubrication, fuel and as a constituent in various materials. Users: very widespread range of users. Made from: hydrocarbons plus additives. Hazard assessment: oil as a pollutant in the marine environment presents a range of hazards. Avoid skin contact as much as possible. (Tip to clean oil off the skin break a cuttlebone and rub the oil off using the exposed broken edge of the cuttlebone. This will remove a good deal of the oil). 37
Assessing oil deposits on the beach: Oil Assessing & Reporting Serious oil spills from shipping will appear as oil slicks and specialised sampling and forwarding procedures are carried out by local authorities. Smaller leakages and discharges from ships ballast containing oil may show up as wet and fluid and within a day or so congeal into flat pancake like shapes and/or arrive ashore as oil globules. Oil is also dumped overboard in plastic containers and when these break and leak similar globules will be detected. See photos. Collect in a non-plastic container or bag and hold in safekeeping. Because of the very high cost of testing oil only incidents where some other evidence is also available are likely to be tested. Oil samples need to be wrapped in paper and posted in a cardboard box to ensure no contamination with any form of plastic. Estimate the area of beach affected and how much oil has come ashore are there small, medium or high numbers of deposits across the affected area and if possible check nearby beaches and rocky areas for deposits. This information will help build a picture of the extent of smaller dischargers and leakages. Clean up small scale deposits if you can, otherwise contact Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society or the Department of Environment and Conservation. Reporting - Oil coming ashore can be reported to one or more of the following: AMSA National 24 hour Oil and Chemical Spill Rescue Hotline 1800 641 792; Oil spills can also be reported to your local port/marine or transport authority; Department of Planning & Infrastructure, Marine Environment Protection Unit, PO Box 402, Fremantle, Western Australia, 6959 Ph (08) 9216 8233 or 24hr pollution reporting number (08) 9480 9924. Please ensure that samples are wrapped in paper and sent in cardboard boxes to avoid any contamination with plastics and include a note on where and when the samples were found; Report oil spills in Queensland to the Maritime Safety Queensland (07) 3120 7462; Report oil spills in New Zealand to Maritime New Zealand toll free 0508 472269; Local Rangers; Department of Environment and Conservation. 38
Oil - Identification Oil deposit splash on rock Small oil deposits as they appear having just come ashore Thin pancake like appearance of oil after being on the beach for a few days 39
Tar balls Tar Balls These are usually natural products originating from seeps in the ocean floor in the Indonesian region. They are carried down on the Leeuwin Current. On the South Coast they can come from seismic zones in the Southern Ocean. If their origin is known, tar balls can be used as a natural indicator giving a clue as to the movement of debris at a particular site. Reporting Tar balls don t need to be reported but can be sent for testing if needed. Identification Tar balls as they usually appear. Sizes usually range between that of a matchstick head to that of a golf ball. They are usually pliable like plasticine and smell like tar. They do not leave a residue when handling. Left: Some objects such as charcoal, coal and basaltic pumice look like tar balls. 40
Metal Illegal Dumping Items such as cars, household appliances and furniture may be found dumped on the coastline. Please report illegal dumping to the local Shire, Department of Environment & Conservation or Keep Australia Beautiful Council Littering Hotline on: (08) 6467 5129. Ballast As metal is heavy it is sometimes used as ballast to hold down recreational fishing pots. 41
E-Waste In recent years the explosive growth and rapid turnover of electronic goods has given rise to the E- Waste problem. Television picture tubes, mobile phones, printer cartridges and pedometers are a few of the items found washed ashore or discarded on beaches. Most E-Waste items will not float and so their status as a marine debris issue is not widely known. E-Waste items contain heavy metals and many industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls and flame retardants. If discarded into the sea these toxic chemicals will persist in the marine environment and find their way into the food web. Much E-Waste is dumped in poorer countries where largely unregulated processing leads to major environmental and health problems. Some of the hazardous waste (ash from incineration for example) will find its way down rivers and drains and enter into the ocean. In Australia, E-Waste is one of the fastest growing types of waste. Each Year we buy 2.4 million computers and 1 million TVs together with a host of smaller items such as mobile phones, GPS sets, IPods and so on. The volume of E-Waste is growing at 3 times the rate of general municipal waste. 42
Sorting & Counting Marine Debris Equipment you may need for sorting and counting Small Tarp especially if you are counting the debris at the clean up location. Tape Measure for measuring items such as rope and plastic strapping bands. ID Manual and Data Collection Sheet. Digital Camera if available - to record an image of the debris once sorted. Also worth having on hand are marking pen and paper. The site name can be written on the paper and placed with the debris for identification of the site in the photo. Where to sort and count? If possible you need to be out of the wind so that items such as food wrappers and paper don t blow away. If you sort and count on the beach make sure you have an appropriate disposal strategy. If you take the debris home to sort and count, write the site name and date on the bags and tie the tops. If you don t count straight away store the bags where children and pet dogs cannot get to them. Weighing the bags of debris A set of fish weighing scales or old kitchen scales are ideal for this job. If no weighing devices are available just estimate the weight. 43
Sorting and Counting 1.Weigh the bags and record the weight. 2.Empty the bags carefully, especially if there are glass items. If possible empty the bags into a large drum or if at home a wheelbarrow. This contains the rubbish and is easier to work from. 3.To simplify the counting process sort the items into groups similar to those pictured below. 44
Sorting and Counting 4. Count one group at a time and remove the items to the disposal pile as you go. 5. Measure rope, plastic strapping band, fishing line and fishing net over 1 metre in length and record the total number of metres for all items of each type. See the section on plastic strapping bands for additional details. 6. Counting remnant items. A remnant item is any marine debris item in the process of breaking down into smaller pieces. If the item is more than fifty percent intact then count it as an item. Less than fifty percent is counted as a remnant. The downward limit in size of remnant items is 5mm. Anything smaller than this falls into the micro plastic category and requires a different data collection approach. Pieces of plastic and polystyrene, lids and tops, plastic bag remnants and broken glass are the most common remnants recorded. One way of counting hundreds of plastic pieces is to count a given number say 20 at a time into a small container and make piles which are then easily totalled. You can also half a very large pile of plastic pieces and count only one half which is doubled to give the total. When faced with a large amount of broken glass just estimate the total and or weigh it. Some data sheets will place all remnant item types together and others will require totals for different types of remnants. If you think the numbers of a particular type of remnant is unusually high make a note. Remnant items of interest, in addition to the above, are buoy and float remnants, plastic strapping band pieces and rope scraps. 45
Disposal of Debris Most non recyclable debris in small quantities, can be disposed of in the rubbish bin however there are some important points to consider when disposing of debris. When placing items in the recycling system make sure they are relatively clean, uncontaminated and not encrusted with barnacles. This usually limits the amount of marine debris that can be recycled. Dispose of hazardous items in accordance with local regulations. See below. If you find you need to dispose of a large quantity of debris your shire may be prepared to assist. Hazardous Items Broken glass and light bulbs securely wrap or enclose before disposal. Fluorescent light tubes contain mercury contact your local shire for advice on disposal. Cylume (chemical) light sticks contain a mix of toxic chemicals contact your local shire for advice on disposal. Containers with oil, flammable material or paint - contact your local shire for advice on disposal. Syringes or other sharps objects place into a sharps container and contact your local shire for advice on disposal of the container when finished with. 46
If you are unsure of the hazard potential of any container leave it on the beach. Move it away from the high tide mark and inform the local authorities. Fishing Line place in a secure bag or container before disposal. Do not attempt to melt or incinerate fishing line or any other plastic item as toxic chemicals including dioxins are released in the heating and burning process. 47
NOTES 48
PACKING TAPE (Information on pages 30-32) Total Cut/Uncut Length Width Colour PP/PT & Embossed/Plain TAGS/OTHER IDENTIFIABLE ITEMS (Information on pages 10-14) Total Material Colour All Writing/Numbering PLASTIC RESIN PELLETS OBSERVED? (Information on page 29) Yes No Comments DEAD OR INJURED ANIMALS OR SEA BIRDS OBSERVED? Yes No Comments