In a preview to National Clean Up Day, volunteers pitched in to clear an array of trash from Dandenong Creek and its wetlands near Myuna Farm, Doveton last week.
Three families caught the farm’s train and trekked along the creek before collecting five, 40-litre bags of rubbish on Wednesday 25 February.
Soft plastics, wrappers, glow sticks and even a television were extracted from the habitat heaving with birds, fruit bats and fish.
Casey mayor Stefan Koomen thanked the families for their efforts.
“By taking part in this event, you are helping to prevent rubbish from entering the waterways around Myuna Farm, which provide important habitat for waterbirds and Grey-headed Flying Foxes.”
Much of the sediment and debris gets washed into the creek during storms and floods, or from illegal dumping or littering.
More people are also reportedly living along the creek due to housing stress, leading to rubbish, greywater and human waste pollution.
On Sunday 1 March, Clean Up Australia Day recorded more than 750,000 volunteers cleansing more than 8000 sites nationally.
The annual event, founded by the late Ian Kiernan AO, is now in its 36th year.
His daughter Pip Kiernan, the chair of CUAD, said its latest Litter Report FY25 was a “reminder of why days like today matter”.
“Plastics make up more than 80 per cent of all litter found across Australia, cigarette butts are now the most littered individual item, and vapes are turning up at more than a third of surveyed Clean Up sites.
“This is what our volunteers are finding under their feet today, and it is a call to action for every single one of us.”
