More Than 140 Volunteers Unite to Restore Klin Wara Kona

On Sunday, 26 July 2026, more than 140 incredible volunteers joined the Bucket of Love Foundation PNG for our Cleanathon at Klin Wara Kona in Kimbe.

It was truly inspiring to see children, families, community volunteers, students and representatives from local businesses working side by side for one shared purpose—to restore this beautiful coastal area and raise awareness about the importance of protecting our environment.

Nine Cubic Metres of Rubbish Collected

Over just three hours, our volunteers collected an incredible nine cubic metres of rubbish from the beach, creek and surrounding mangrove area.

The most common items we found were beer bottles, plastic bottles and household waste. Much of the rubbish had been buried deep beneath the mud for many years. In some places, our volunteers had to dig more than 30 centimetres below the surface to remove it.

Seeing how deeply this rubbish had become embedded in the environment was a powerful reminder that litter does not simply disappear. It remains in our soil and waterways, damaging our coastal ecosystems and threatening the wildlife that depends on them.

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Planting 200 Mangrove Seedlings

The Cleanathon was about more than collecting rubbish. It was also an opportunity to restore the area and teach participants about the importance of mangroves. Mahonia Na Dari generously donated 200 mangrove seedlings, which were planted along the small creek beside the beach.

Mangroves play an essential role in protecting our coastlines. They help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and provide important habitats for fish, crabs and other marine life that our communities rely upon.

It was wonderful to see children and adults learning together while taking practical action to protect the environment.

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Why This Work Matters

At the Bucket of Love Foundation PNG, we wanted this event to be both a community clean-up and an educational experience.

Keeping rubbish out of our oceans protects not only marine life, but also ourselves. Plastic and other waste eventually break down into smaller particles that enter our waterways, fisheries and food chain.

This is a global problem, but change begins within our own homes and communities. Each of us has a responsibility to think carefully about how we dispose of our rubbish and the impact our everyday choices can have on the environment.

The Cleanathon also highlighted the urgent need for stronger waste-management systems throughout Papua New Guinea. Our communities need more public rubbish bins, reliable weekly collection services and greater investment in recycling and environmental education—particularly in our schools.

When rubbish is thrown into drains, rivers and creeks, it eventually reaches the ocean. It threatens marine wildlife, contaminates our fisheries and affects the food our families depend upon.

We must work together to change these habits before it is too late.

Thank You to Our Supporters

This event would not have been possible without the generosity, hard work and community spirit of everyone who took part.

On behalf of the Bucket of Love Foundation PNG, I sincerely thank all our community volunteers and the following schools, businesses and organisations for their valued support:

• Caritas Technical Secondary School

• Mega Mart Supermarket

• Bro Mart Supermarket

• Mahonia Na Dari

• HSK Limited

• Kimbe Market Authority

• New Britain Palm Oil Limited

• Liamo Reef Resort

• Islands Petroleum

• Kimbe Bay Shipping Agencies

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Your support and willingness to work together made this Cleanathon a wonderful success.

I hope this will be the first of many community-led environmental initiatives at Klin Wara Kona and throughout West New Britain.

We encourage individuals, families, schools, businesses and government agencies to continue working together to protect our province’s unique and beautiful natural environment.

Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for generations to come.

Tiana Reimann

Founder, Bucket of Love Foundation PNG