Coogee Bay Hotel hosts clean up event, goes plastic-free

Coogee Bay Hotel is leading the charge on Clean Up Australia day, organising a Clean Up Coogee event to pick up rubbish at Coogee Beach.

Coogee Bay Hotel staff Melanie Elwood, marketing manager Lindsey Potts and general manager Natasha Brennan at Coogee beach ahead of Clean Up Coogee Day. Picture: Monique Harmer

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Residents have been combating washed-up plastic debris along our coastline for years, and now the Coogee Bay Hotel has joined the good fight.

Cleaning up the beach in its own backyard, the Coogee Bay Hotel will host Clean Up Coogee Day on Friday, March 1.

Coogee Bay Hotel staff Natasha Brennan, Melanie Elwood, Lindsey Potts, Mona Gerges, Matt Barlow & Alex Lawrence at Coogee Beach. Picture: Monique Harmer

Coogee Bay Hotel’s marketing manager Lindsey Potts said the establishment registered the Clean Up Australia Day event after transitioning into a “plastic-free venue”.

“It’s important to keep our premises clean, but also the premises around us. We really just want to shed some awareness on being environmentally friendly,” Ms Potts said.

The iconic Coogee venue has proudly stopped using plastic straws. Beverage rubbish made up 14.3 per cent of rubbish items surveyed by NSW Clean Up Australia Day volunteers last year.

Ms Potts said she is anticipating between 150 and 200 participants at Coogee Beach including volunteers from “schools and local businesses.”

Beverage rubbish made up 14.3 per cent of rubbish items surveyed by NSW Clean Up Australia Day volunteers last year according to the 2018 Rubbish Report.

Following the event, The Coogee Bay Hotel is welcoming participants to enjoy a bacon and egg roll or Bircher muesli for a gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to the Clean Up Australia Day charity.

Randwick City Council will remove all rubbish collected at local clean up sites on Clean Up Australia Day, Sunday, March 3, which Randwick Mayor Kathy Neilson said “produces benefits for the whole community”.

Coogee Bay Hotel event manager Melanie Elwood, marketing manager Lindsey Potts and general manager Natasha Brennan at Coogee Beach. Picture: Monique Harmer

“Volunteers can see results within a couple of hours, and get to enjoy time spent outside amongst friends and like-minded neighbours who want to help the environment,” Councillor Neilson said.

Bayside Council will also be supporting Clean Up Australia Day, with registered clean up sites at Foreshore Beach and Sir Joseph Banks Park.

Additional bags, litter picking tools, gloves and educational information will be provided by Bayside Council at registered locations within its area.

Find all local clean up sites near you at cleanup.org.au