Piles of trash found along East Coast Park

Volunteers cleaning up the beach at East Coast Park yesterday. The trash included plastic snack wrappers, glass bottles and slippers. One beachgoer said the debris also included wood fragments with sharp nails sticking out, which posed a danger to the public. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

Piles of rubbish including plastic snack wrappers, glass bottles and slippers have washed up on the beach at East Coast Park.

When The Straits Times visited the beach yesterday, a group of people were picking up the rubbish after their friend Tong Chee San, 32, spotted the trash during his usual run and asked them to help him clean it up.

"When I saw this mess, I decided to do something. Everyone should do their part to dispose of the garbage," said Mr Tong, who is a research fellow at the National University of Singapore.

Another beachgoer, Ms Samantha Lau, 25, noted that the debris along the beach also included wood fragments with sharp nails sticking out, which posed a danger to the public.

"I know NEA cleans the beaches very often and the beaches are always well-maintained when I visit," she added, referring to the National Environment Agency.

The "volume" of rubbish she saw yesterday surprised her, although she was aware that more trash washes ashore during the south-west monsoon season between May and October.

Jessie Lim

LISTEN TO GREEN PULSE PODCAST

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 01, 2020, with the headline Piles of trash found along East Coast Park. Subscribe