Pacific Coast Lodge and Backpackers guests help protect beaches.

Thursday throw back!

Pacific Coast Lodge Clean Team hit the local new papers last year for diverting over 40kgs of rubbish from landfill! We get a group of guests together each month to help look after our beautiful beaches, it brings people together, protects our environment and saves marine life. Come and join the next one!

Glass beer bottles, tennis and golf balls, a carpet, takeaway containers, and a dead puffer fish: these were some of the items collected by 34 backpackers from Mount Maunganui beaches on Sunday. The backpackers, all guests at Pacific Coast Lodge, removed 40kg of rubbish from along Tay St beach, the Main Beach and Pilot Bay as part of a recently rekindled monthly tradition.

Pacific Coast Lodge and Backpackers owner Sarah Meadows said the lodge had been inviting guests and staff to clean up local beaches every month for five years before Covid-19 struck. Last Sunday was the lodge's first beach clean-up day since the pandemic began.

"We've never had 34 guests participate so this was the biggest turnout so far," Meadows told the Bay of Plenty Times. Meadows, who described herself as "a greenie at heart", said being conscious of the environment and our footprint on the Earth was part of being a good business operator. But it's also about more than that. There isn't a planet B. It is so crucial to look after our Earth. and we love getting our guests involved and taking care of our community."

Pacific Coast Lodge and Backpackers staff member Celwin Vazey said the clean-up day was a great experience for everyone involved. "Everyone had a good time and it was really nice because as soon as we started an older gentleman from the public told us he would have loved to get involved. We had several people throughout the morning thank us. We felt appreciated."

Vazey said the group had even come up with a slogan for picking up rubbish. "I always think about David Attenborough when I think of the environment so we've turned it into a bit of a game. "When we see rubbish that needs picking up we say, 'Do it for David'."

Pacific Coast Lodge and Backpackers manager Laure Gamelon said the hostel's team was proud to see so many guests volunteer.