- Clean Up Guidelines: Do's & Don'ts -

 Marine life can quickly grow on to marine debris, making it into a home. In these cases it is up to your judgement
​whether you leave the debris in its place, or remove the debris from the marine environment.
Below are guidelines for your consideration. If you are unsure, leave it in its place.
What debris to remove from the marine environment?
  • Plastics: bags, balloons, crates, bottles, buckets, containers, straws, toothbrushes, fishing materials (line, lures, rods and poles, nets, etc.), gloves, cigarette lighters, rope, pipes (PVC) and plastic fragments are just a few examples
  • Glass & Ceramics: cups, jars, light bulbs, bottles, dishes, tableware, and other glass and ceramic fragments are a few examples
  • Metal: batteries*, household appliances, car and car parts, cans, utincils, pipes and rebar, wire, barbed wire, mesh wire, scuba weights, wrappers, and other metal fragments are a few examples
  • Rubber: gloves, rubber bands, tires, condoms, inner-tubes, and rubber fragments are a few examples
  • Wood: processed lumber, pallets, fishing traps and pots, wood furnishings, and wood fragments are a few examples
  • Cloth: bags, gloves, rope, string, towels, rags, and other cloth fragments are a few examples
  • Paper & Cardboard: bags, books, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, and other fragments are a few examples
  • Mixed Material & Other Debris: bricks, fireworks, shoes, sandles, flip flops, toys, computer and other electronics, chunks of cement, and clothing are a few examples

* Safe Battery Disposal
We encourage everyone to purchase electronics with rechargable batteries, and encourage all divers to use dive lights and camera strobes with rechargable batteries. However, if you find batteries during your beach clean up, or if your strobes, lights, or gadgets require batteries, please don’t throw the used ones in the trash. If they go to the landfill, they can cause severe environmental damage. Dive Friends Bonaire has special battery disposal containers at each of their locations for you to drop them off.
What do I leave behind? Leave an item if:
  • You are unsure if it is safe for you to remove the debris
  • Removing the debris will disturb marine life and corals
  • It is rusty and/or extremely sharp and you do not have the proper protection for yourself to remove the debris
  • You suspect the debris may leak chemicals harmful to your skin, and you do not have the proper protection - mark the location, and report this to local authorities
  • The debris is or contains weapons or ammunition - mark the location, and report this to local authorities
  • Eggs are attached to the debris - mark the location, and return to collect the debris once the eggs have hatched

Debris Free Bonaire is a movement dedicated to reducing the amount of marine debris on and around Bonaire. We empower volunteers to work together in cleaning up and reporting debris, and to practice more sustainable actions in daily life that directly impact the health of our oceans and planet. Together, we can make a difference.
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