OUR island’s health is our common wealth! Today, April 20 up to 21 is the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality’s Annual Islandwide cleanup, the largest and most anticipated cleanup program in the Marianas.
35 Government agencies, schools, non-profit organizations and businesses volunteered for this year’s islandwide clean up on scheduled today and tomorrow.
All entities have designated places to clean up where volunteers clean up the pre-chosen location for two hours. Cleaning materials like gloves and trash bags are provided by BECQ.
In the previous years, BECQ used to collect as much as 5,000 tons of trash during their clean ups.
Collected trash is hauled away for disposal at the Marpi landfill, to prevent it from becoming marine debris.
The CNMI Islandwide Clean Up day is the island’s contribution to the 53rd World Earth Day 2023 which is also celebrated on Saturday 22 April.
The movement calls for hundreds of thousands of people for a global alliance to act, innovate and implement measures to protect the environment among all: companies, governments and citizens.
BECQ said it is committed to public environmental awareness and outreach activities to improve and restore our islands’ natural beauty.
Aside from the yearly islandwide clean up, BECQ also conducts a monthly Cleanup Brigade.
The monthly cleanup brigade started in June 1997 and was joined by dedicated BECQ staff and community volunteers that meet the first Saturday of each month at a pre-chosen location.
The Brigade also cleans up for two hours and then hauls away trash for disposal at the Marpi Landfill, to prevent trash from becoming marine debris.
In the previous years, over 7,000 lbs (3.5 tons) of trash has been collected from Saipan’s beaches and roadways.
For more information, contact Darion Jones at (670) 664-8500/01 or darion.jones@becq.gov.mp
