Ploggers' Gallery
World Earth Day, April 22nd 2021
In recognition of World Earth Day 2021, eight enthusiastic litter pickers descended on Sabinillas Beach to collect rubbish on April 20th 2021.
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Good for the beach and great for our spirit, says Rosalind, our eco-rep.
Post script! re the San Pedro car park - Jimmy was keeping this area clean by picking up rubbish on a daily basis. After a 2 week break away, he returned to a mess - he cleared away 8 dustbin bags of rubbish, a pile of cardboard and a child's cot. There are still 2 large car seats to dispose of. Litter attracts litter, it seems. We have a long way to go on getting the public on board regarding this awful scourge.
San Pedro de Alcantara, Car park as below - the final assault.
Wednesday 10th July 2019
The last final effort to clean up this awful mess. Mission accomplished!
Task force (from left to right): Jimmy, Kevin, Joanna, Jean and Helen (the shadow)
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Interesting newsflash! There was a mass of dumped items too large or heavy for us to handle.
A filthy double mattress, blankets, builders' rubble, pallets, discarded carpets, furniture, etc.
which we piled into one area. On advice, Jean wrote to the town hall asking for their help,
basically, to remove them. That was last week.
Today (Wednesday), after our clean up, they collected it all.
An impressive and speedy response, for which we applaud them!
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San Pedro de Alcantara, Car Park as below - once again. Wednesday 3rd July 2019.
Repeat performance, cleaned up another section of the same car park. It will probably take another plogging outing to cover the rest - that's how bad it is. Task force: Jimmy, Jean, Rosalind, Joanna and Helen.
Car Park on Camino del Cortijo/Av. Oriental on the East side of San Pedro de Alcantara, 29th June 2019
What a mess. This is another area Jimmy and Jean have been maintaining for some time but which has recently become overwhelmed with excessive trash. Litter appears to attract more litter; hopefully this clean up will have the opposite effect. Type of litter: Everything, from the usual bottles and cans, through to clothing and car seats. Task force: Jimmy, Jean, Kevin, Caroline, Emily and Nicholas, Joanna and Helen.
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A nice touch: an elderly Spanish gentleman, who lives in the corner house on the edge of the carpark, came out on his crutches to thank us for our efforts. What's more, he brought us ice creams from his freezer as a sign of his gratitude - very welcome in the heat!
Plaza in Central San Pedro de Alcantara, Every day
The photographs tell the story: Jimmy hard at work cleaning up the rubbish left in the plaza, despite the availability of bins. Mostly cans, plastic bottles, candy wrappers, empty cigarette packs and cigarette butts. This happens every single day. Heroic!
Task force: Jimmy and Jean
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Plenty of rubbish bins available-
apparently only for decoration?
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Estepona, Wednesday 29th May 'Joanna's Gym route'
Plogging from H10 Hotel up the road towards Estepona centre for one hour. Too many drinks cans, chip packets, candy wrappings, small polystyrene bits, wet wipes (again). Too close to the sea for comfort, especially on a windy day. Task force: Vivienne, Kevin, Joanna and Helen
San Pedro de Alcantara, Paseo Maritimo beach, Tuesday afternoon 21st May
The beach looked fairly clean, but close-up, not so much - crisp-packets, ice-cream packets, candy wrappers, cigarette buts, plastic straws, bottle caps,and of course the ubiquitous wet wipes. Small stuff, but just as dangerous. Great exercise, all that bending, especially in the fresh sea breeze! Team: Rosalind and Helen
Wednesday 10th April - Estepona beach between the H10 Hotel and Estepona port, the rocky section near the pier.
Emergency beach cleanup, particularly of an alarming amount of polystyrene in various stages of breakdown. Notable too was the number of wet wipes that had become entangled in seaweed and natural debris that have washed in from the sea.
The Task Force: Joanna, Adrian, Rosalind, Hans, Denise, Helen, John and Mr Patterson.
Plogging Hall of Fame
Veteran ploggers Jimmy and Jean Kerr-Hill who pick up discarded debris, including bottles and cans, in the plaza where they live in San Pedro every day, a truly heroic plogging story.
Their plogging experience encompasses three countries on two continents over half a century. Bravo!
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Another veteran, Joan Thompson, who has been promoted from 'the crazy lady who picks up rubbish' (her words) to being the epitome of a super-cool plogger with decades of experience on the Costa del Sol.
We salute you, Joan!
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