Round the Bays: Tonnes of fun and mountains of plastic, campaigners say

Campaigners posted images of rubbish bins filled to overflowing with plastic bottles after yesterday's Ports of Auckland Round the Bays challenge. Photo / Facebook

The Round the Bays challenge brought out close to 35,000 Aucklanders in a fun-filled spectacle, but with that came a mountain of plastic rubbish, environmental campaigners say.

Campaigners have posted pictures to social media showing rubbish bins filled to overflowing with Coca-Cola Amatil's Pump-branded plastic bottles.

Every one of the 34,830 people taking took part in the 8.4km long fun run and walk - which passes along a picturesque coastline bordering the Hauraki Gulf - was given a free bottle.

Campaigner Hayley Gillespie called it a "hugely irresponsible amount of plastic waste at the event" at a time when Auckland's Hauraki Gulf was under environmental pressure.

Gillespie commended the event's organisers for putting together a fun day out, but said "the aftermath and irresponsible waste management which occurred has left myself and hundreds of others furious".

Round the Bays event and sponsorship director David Blackwell said the team had a duty of care to provide water to participants and the bottles were made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.

Pump bottles lined up ready for Round the Bays participants to grab. Photo / Facebok

It comes after Auckland's Council's latest State of our Gulf 2020 report painted a dire picture of the Marine Park's health.

It found more seabirds and marine animals were now threatened than ever before and little progress had been made towards better protection for the sediment choked and polluted waterways.

Gillespie said Auckland's event organisers could look to Wellington's Round the Bays fun run for inspiration on how to tackle the waste problem.

Wellington's Round the Bays organisers aimed to turn their run into a zero waste event by 2025 and this year gave out reusable cups by the Globelet brand rather than plastic water bottles to participants.

This eliminated "14,000 plastic bottles from Wellington's waste stream", organisers Sport Wellington said.

Gillespie said she was speaking out because it was important to hold big brands, such as Coca-Cola Amatil to account.

"The reality is that the more of us that stand-by not saying anything as companies with large budgets, like Coca-Cola Amatil, distribute such product in attempt to look good, the less change will take place," she said.

"Are we going to continue to accept blatant disregard from money-makers disguised as positive community impact?"

A Coca-Cola Amatil NZ spokesman said the company's Pump bottles were able to be recycled and were made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.

"Meaning if put into a recycling bin they can go on to have another life," he said.

Round the Bays' Blackwell said the event team worked with its suppliers to collect and recycle the water bottles.

"Bins are cleared throughout the event and post-event all rubbish on the course, finish area, and at our hospitality parks is hand-sorted into the correct waste streams to
ensure no contamination," he said.

The team would make further rubbish sweeps over the next two days and would continue to make improvements to future events to reduce its environmental footprint, he said.

This year's Ports of Auckland Round the Bays had the biggest turnout in five years, with an extra 5000 last-minute entries.

The 8.4km course curls along Auckland's coastline from Quay St by Spark Arena to St Heliers Bay, giving beautiful views of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Island.

Now in its 48th year, it reportedly raised more than $270,000 yesterday for Kiwi charities as participants donned outfits ranging from Superman tights to tutus.