Taking 2 Minutes whilst Travelling with Bex_Adventures
We're taking you across the pond this week to Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. We discovered Bex (@bex_adventures) on Instagram after she tagged us in a reel, showing her experience of beach cleaning whilst travelling. We caught up with Bex to hear more about her travels and what inspired her to start beach cleaning and how she navigated her beach cleans abroad.
When did you first start beach cleaning/litter picking?
Before my travels I’d never taken part in a organised beach clean, but as I live near the coast I’d always take rubbish from the beach when I saw it so I think it felt natural to want to take part in a beach clean, especially when I saw the devastating impact plastic was having on the environment while I was over seas.
What inspired you to litter pick whilst travelling?
I’ve always had a interest in the environment and keeping it clean,and I also live near the coast at home which I think has made me realise more just how bad plastic pollution is. I followed Gili Eco Trust on Instagram and saw they held beach cleans in Gilli T and I messaged them and asked to join! It was so great and felt so good to be part of something positive.
Did it surprise you how much litter there was?
Yes. During the beach clean I did on Gili T in Lombok we found 7kg of glass, 72kg of things that could be recycled, 39.5kg of rubbish that could not be recycled and 266 flip flops on one beach in one hour between a small group of us. It was so sad to see how much rubbish there was in a small area of the beach. I’d actually visited some of these places on my travels years before, and it was really shocking to see how much more litter was here.
What inspired you to share the reality of travel and the fact that litter is present all over the world?
I’ve found that people only share the best bits on Instagram about travelling, which is usually beautiful white sand beaches, but in reality a lot of these are not like this anymore. Most likely just out of camera shot there will be plastic and rubbish. I wanted to share the reality because some people won’t believe it until they see it and I’m hoping it has made people realise the situation we are currently in due to plastic pollution. Instagram is such a big platform to share this kind of thing it felt like the right thing to do and hopefully inspire others all around the world.
How did you come across The 2 Minute Foundation? Has 2 Minute inspired you?
I’ve heard of 2 minute beach clean before from seeing the beach clean stations at various coastal towns in the UK. We have one at my local beach too. When I made this reel I knew I wanted to share it with them, as I knew that if they shared this too that even more people would see it.
What would your message be to someone who wants to litter pick/beach clean, wherever they are in world?
Go for it! There are lots of places that would appreciate help from litter picking. Check your local Facebook pages as there might be groups that organise events in your area. Since being home I’ve been looking for more beach cleans to do and hoping to do some this year! Hopefully I’ll inspire some more people to do the same.
