Monwabisi, Sunset Beach and the Robben Island coastline have seen a positive result as the partnership between Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages and The Beach Co-op cleaned up the above-mentioned beaches.
Over 2 153kg worth of litter was collected during 30 beach clean-ups along the Cape coast this year. However, that is but a drop of the work still needed to be done. If we want to preserve the ocean and the wildlife, it’s going to take much harder work.
According to a recent study, “How much is a clean beach worth? The impact of litter on beach users in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa”, it states 90% of the litter on our beaches is plastic waste, which is considered dangerous because it disperses easily and degrades slowly.
Megan-Rose Francis, operational manager of The Beach Co-op, says it’s important for communities to work together and to educate others on keeping South African beaches clean.
South Africa has one of the highest urbanisation rates in the world. And there are various reasons for our unhealthy oceans. A UN report said poorly run landfills and the levels of waste being washed into rivers and waterways contribute to between 90 000 and 250 000 tons of rubbish being dumped in the ocean every year.
Priscilla Urquhart, head of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability for Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, said: “That is equivalent to five garbage trucks dumping their litter into the sea every single hour. This has a huge impact on the social well-being of communities and poses a serious threat to marine life, human health, and all economies.’’
During the clean-ups, The Beach Co-op team has been documenting waste collected on the day, adding it to their research and analysis, including tracking the “Dirty Dozen” list of waste culprits.
The 12 most common items found on the beaches include; fishing lines, cigarette lighters, lollipop sticks, earbuds, straws, individual sweet wrappers, cooldrink bottles, water bottles, cold drink lids, carrier bags, chip packets and light sticks.
“The issue of plastics, recycling, and ocean pollution has never been more crucial. We all need to play our part in protecting the environment and the communities we live in, and partnership and collaboration is the most powerful way to achieve this,” Urquhart said.