BUTTERWORTH - Used condoms, underwear and sarong were among the 2,362kg of rubbish collected during the state's first massive beach clean-up in Seberang Prai at two popular beaches here.

Most of the garbage collected during the four-hour clean-up covering a 800m stretch of Pantai Robina and 1.2km of Pantai Bersih were food packaging and plastic water bottles.

Event organising chairman Koay Teng Hai said it was possible that the clothing and condoms had drifted to the shore from elsewhere.

"Most of what we collected were food-related items meaning that it's very likely to be rubbish left by picnickers.

"The ambiance here is nicer than Gurney Drive on Penang island but unfortunately, rubbish is being thrown indiscriminately," he said.

At least 1,000 people turned up for the International Coastal Cleanup programme yesterday.

Penang was among an estimated 100 countries which participated in the international programme.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng launched the event and later the state's green initiative website (http://greenstate.penang.gov.my).

The programme is part of the "Cleaner, Greener Penang" initiative, co-organised by The Star and the Penang and Seberang Prai municipal councils with support from the state government, to create environmental awareness among the public.