Keanan Harmse
A group of volunteers rolled their sleeves up and removed 25 kg of plastic waste from Muizenberg Beach on Saturday morning 24 May.
The clean-up was conducted by the Litterboom Project, said organiser Casey Pratt.
Litterboom Project is a non-profit company (NPC) that tackles plastic pollution, intercepting waste in rivers, raising awareness through education and driving innovation to turn discarded plastic into opportunity.
The event was a collaboration between Back 2 Nature and the City.
Pratt told People’s Post that the beach-clean up was an opportunity for locals and volunteers to “reconnect with the ocean” and reflect on the need to protect it.
Volunteers removed 25 kg of plastic waste from the beach, intercepting it before it could reach the ocean. The most common types of litter that were collected were cigarette butts.
“A waste audit is currently underway, with early findings showing an overwhelming number of cigarette butts, the most littered item globally. Often mistaken for biodegradable paper, cigarette filters are made of plastic and can take up to 10 years to break down, leaking toxic chemicals into the environment,” he said.
Many stayed on to visit the NPC’s pop-up stand, which showcased a range of products made from recovered plastic, demonstrating how waste can be reimagined into practical and creative items.
NPC project manager Megan Swart said she was honoured to be part of the clean-up. “We’re really excited at bringing events such as this to life, ones that mix environmental action with community spirit. It’s not just about removing plastic, but also shifting how we see and deal with it.” The next event will be on Saturday 7 June, at Lagoon Beach, to celebrate World Oceans Day on Sunday 8 June.
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