On Oct. 30, NYU Shanghai`s chapter Green Shanghai alongside with the volunteer organization HandsOn Shanghai took a group of dedicated members to the Shanghai coast to improve the state of the coastal white pollution. White pollution is the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment that causes adverse effects to the wildlife habitat. However, plastic was not the only waste found on the Shanghai coast. We found plenty of trash, from dirty diapers to needles and everything in between. The day started off with an 8:30 departure to the site. Along the way, students from Shanghai Maritime University joined, and after getting to know each other a bit better, we reached the location.

Instructions and some quick team building games followed, and working in teams of five we collected around twenty bags full of trash. While this may seem like a lot, it is not. We all got some pride in helping cleaning up our environment, but just looking around the area, you can see that this is not enough and that we barely made a dent in the pollution. It was a pity to see the amount of trash at the beach. Nevertheless, the sadness was overwhelmed by seeing how actively everyone wanted to get engaged in the cleaning process. However, the job isn’t done. Some would like to see beach cleaning trips become a regular part of Green Shanghai’s event schedule. After finishing at the beach, we went back to Shanghai Maritime University, where the hosting students showed us their beautiful and vast campus. We shared a picnic and returned to the dorms safely.

In light of recent events and elections, it is now more imperative that each and every person do their part to protect our planet. These can be simple things as throwing your trash in appropriate trash cans and recycling or bigger actions, such as using reusable bags when shopping or attending more Green Shanghai events. This was an event co-organized by Green Shanghai. Similar activities are planned to happen in the future, so stay alert. And remember, it might not hurt you, but others might suffer if you pollute. This article was written by Raitis Pekuss. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Vivian You