Two visitors from New Zealand have started collecting rubbish left scattered on Tongatapu beaches this month. They aim to keep the areas safe for public use and to help protect marine life.

Dan Rodgerd and a friend, who have been in Tonga since January, have already cleaned up Veitongo Beach and the carpark, as well as Secret Beach, which is next to Keleti Beach Resort.

“Most of the rubbish we pick up are beer bottles and plastic food containers, chip packets, and a lot of dirty nappies,” Dan told Matangi Tonga.

“The idea came to me just by visiting all the amazing beaches and tourist attractions in Tonga, but everywhere we went there were piles of rubbish. I would watch young ones playing and running on the beach with broken glass everywhere” he said.

The pair have filled around 10 large bags on average at each beach.

“We leave the bags stacked up at the end of the roads, where the rubbish trucks can collect them. As we don't have a vehicle big enough to take them to the landfill.”

However, he hopes a collection spot for each area will be set up with waste management.

Meanwhile, Dan has created a facebook page called Tidy up Tonga [2] where he announces locations a day or two before the clean-up and anyone can help out.

He has also set up a fundraising page [3] with a goal to raise $10,000 which will go towards having wooden bins made and cemented into high rubbish areas, with extra signage, as well as gloves and bags.

“We plan doing the clean ups for as long as it takes. It's very rewarding to arrive to a spot full of rubbish, and then seeing it a couple of hours later all clean and safe for everyone to use and enjoy.”

“We also hope to do school visits on the importance of disposing of rubbish properly and not leaving it on the beach. For our marine life and future generations.”

Dan is also looking at expanding the clean-up project to ‘Eua, Vava’u and Ha’apai if they reach their fundraising goal.