IN 2021, plastic pollution found on uShaka Beach has surpassed the concerning levels of cigarette butts that made the top of the same list in 2019.
The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (Saambr) shared the news on November, 12.
“In 2019, the item with the highest count during the KZN International Beach Clean-up was cigarette butts. This year, cigarette butts only came in fifth position – after food wrappers, plastic pieces, plastic bottles and plastic bottle caps,” said the spokesperson for Saambr, Ann Kunz.
While glass pieces and other items had the highest count in Kosi Bay, plastic pieces were the clear ‘winners’ on uShaka Beach.
According to Saambr, the total count of bottle caps was higher than a combination of all of the other items in the first five category.
“If we have no alternative but to purchase beverages in plastic bottles, it would be wise to take a moment to screw the cap back onto the bottle before throwing it in a bin. Thankfully, straws did not appear in the top five and neither did shopping bags or styrofoam pieces, which is quite remarkable,” said Kunz.
According to Saambr, items with the highest count in 2021 are:
Plastic bottle caps – over 18 000.
Plastic bottles – over 5 000.
Plastic pieces – over 4 000.
Sweet wrappers – over 3 500.
Cigarette butts – over 3 400.
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