This year World Cleanup Day will be celebrated on 15 September 2018, and beach lovers all over the globe will be rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty in an effort to clean our rubbish-riddled coastlines. Our oceans are facing a human-made disaster of mammoth proportions. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea. Apart from being ingested by seabirds and other marine wildlife, a lot of this litter washes up on our shores, making beach clean-up initiatives an indispensable part of the fight against coastal pollution.
On World Cleanup Day, more than 150 countries around the world will be mobilised to pick up litter. World Cleanup Day will start in New Zealand when the sun rises, and move around the globe with the time zones until it sets, ending in Hawaii 36 hours later. South Africa is one of 60 countries on the African continent who will be participating in this year’s event!
Community-led beach cleanups will be taking place at most major beaches throughout the week leading up to the 15th and on Saturday. These significant cleanups have been organised at the following beaches between 09:00 and 12:00 on 15 September 2018:
Cape Town:
Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Trash Bash –
Durban:
Beachwood Mangrove Nature Reserve
Clean-up at Cuttings Beach –
For more info about these and various other cleanup events around the country, please visit http://cleanupandrecycle.co.za or www.letsdoitworld.org.
By taking part in your local beach cleanup event, you do not only make a tangible difference in conserving your coastal environment. It is also an opportunity to mingle with your community and spend a relaxing day being active on the beach. Get involved, and be the difference you want to see in cleaning up our beautiful coast!