THE rainy weather could not deter volunteers from doing their bit for the environment on Saturday at the #CleanBlueLagoon clean-up around the uMngeni River mouth. The clean-up, which was given the backing of United Nations Patron of the Oceans, Lewis Pugh, who tweeted his followers in Durban to join the clean-up was well-attended despite organiser, Dale Johnson, hoping for more people.
In the past 11 clean-ups the volunteers have collected over two tons of rubbish, around 80 per cent of which is plastic.
Check out gallery from the event here:
The amount of rubbish on the beach shocked Johnson who urged the volunteers to focus their clean-up efforts at the mouth of the uMngeni River, where most of the litter had accumulated. In all, 275 bags of litter were collected on the day.
“It is very concerning to see this amount of rubbish here today. At the clean-up last month, after the heavy rains, we had our biggest turnout ever so it’s very disappointing to see such a small group of people here today. Having said that, it’s awesome to see so many youngsters involved. We’ve partnered with the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT) and some companies to tackle the tributaries, like the Umhlangane River, where illegal dumping occurs.
“That river leads into the uMngeni River and ends up at the mouth. Our goal is to cease #CleanBlueLagoon initiative by 2025 as we help get the city to educate and raise more awareness about the importance of our beaches,” he said.
