This World Environment Day, 5 June, Les Amis organised a beach clean at Ouiasne Bay and invited Islanders to join them. Thanks to Bailiwick Express who helped publicise the event online. See below, a gallery of photos from the event.
Les Amis’ beach clean partner, Plastic Free Jersey, made the day both fun and educational. Participants joined in a game of ‘beach clean bingo’ and learned how to use the ‘nurdle-ator’, a machine which filters rubbish and especially microplastics from sand.
Plastic Free Jersey’s Sheena Brockie tells us: “While Jersey’s beaches are generally quite free of rubbish and debris, the microplastics are really the target of our beach cleans. These pearlescent beads of plastic especially look like eggs and are sought and consumed by hungry fish.”
Les Amis’ Alex Black, who manages the oil recycling service crew, said: “World Environment Day is important to us. We actively support our island’s green agenda through Les Amis’ oil recycling service. We collect used, commercial cooking oil, free of charge, from local cafes, hotels and restaurants; then filter the oil to sell on to producers of biofuel. The income we generate from this sustainable social enterprise allows us to provide paid employment in a supportive environment to some of our more independent residents.
Les Amis is proud to report that since we started our recycling service in 2018, our team has collected and recycled over 800 tons (800,000 litres) of used, commercial cooking oil – saving it from being burned up into our atmosphere.
At the end of the beach clean, the group incorporated the rubbish, debris and other interesting found objects to form the slogan in the sand #PlasticFreeSea. They were thrilled to see that their efforts made the front page of the Jersey Evening Post and was talked about on BBC Radio Jersey.
Les Amis’ Head of Charitable Income & Partnerships, Yenni Kusumo remarked: "Events like this provide our residents the opportunity to come together in a social setting and contribute to their local community and the planet. Disability doesn’t mean inability. Despite being learning disabled, they’re out and about working on our oil recycling service and doing beach cleans – helping change the world in any way they can.”
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Les Amis Limited Registered Charity No. 232 | LA Incorporated No.231 | Association of Jersey Charities Number: AJC 113