EVERY year, tons of waste items wind up in the oceans and consequently litter our beaches, much of it being plastic.
With that in mind, The Litterboom Project, the uMhlanga Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association (URRA) and various stakeholders are urging residents to get behind a beach clean-up on uMhlanga Beach this Saturday, September 16.
The clean-up takes on added significance as it is International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day which is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of the month every September.
The day is about empowering people to take an active role in the preservation and cleaning up of the oceans and our beaches.
For local resident and one of the organisers behind the clean-up, Pierre Tostee, this much is true.
Also read: Durban company makes environmentally friendly coffins
“We felt there was no better way to celebrate International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day by cleaning our beaches and helping to lend our voices to the fight to protect our oceans. Here in uMhlanga, we have one of the most stunning coastlines in the world, and we hope to engage the local community to keep our beaches clean with this particular clean-up. We have partnered with The Litterboom Project, who are doing amazing work in all parts of Durban,” Tostee said.
Josh Redman from The Litterboom Project said the idea is to meet at Bellézar Beach Cafe & Bar as the central hub and move from there.
“We’ll use Bellézar as our base and direct public north and south to clean-up in each direction. We will provide a few bags but we are also encouraging people to bring their own bags and gloves. The idea is to clean-up the chosen stretch along the way to drop off points and then to enjoy the fruits of your labour walking back to Bellézar.
“We are hoping to create an atmosphere with some music afterwards and a few giveaways as a way to cap off an amazing event. We will also be chatting to participants about the work we do and are doing, specifically on this stretch of beach near the uMhlanga estuary,” he said.
For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.