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10 Sep 2016

Ballito beach and town clean-up!

Lesley Naudé (North Coast Courier)

Keira (8) and Kayleigh (7) Fletcher are amped for the clean-up on September 17.

What makes this beach clean-up unique is that collectors do not just pick up trash, they also take note of the pattern of waste items collected during their clean-ups and add vital data to the world’s largest marine debris database.

More than eight million kilograms of trash – equivalent to the weight of over 100 Boeing 737s – was collected by nearly 800 000 volunteers during Ocean Conservancy’s 2015 International Coastal Clean-up, set for September 17 this year.

Clean-up and Recycle SA Week falls over the same period, from September 12 to 17.

This year The North Coast Courier is calling on you to join us make a difference on September 17 at Zimbali beach in Ballito or to support the inland clean-up with Living Earth on Lee Barns Boulevard (past Shortens Estate off Ballito Drive).

Both clean-ups will be taking place from 8 to 10am. Wear sunscreen and a hat and remember to bring your own gloves.

What makes this beach clean-up unique is that collectors do not just pick up trash, they also take note of the pattern of waste items collected during their clean-ups and add vital data to the world’s largest marine debris database.

The database is used by scientists, conservation groups, governments and industry leaders to take actions and ensure trash never reaches the beach.

Plastic debris remains a growing concern in the marine environment, and the top five most commonly collected items are cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps and plastic straws, respectively. All are forms of plastic debris.

Contact Lesley at The North Coast Courier on 032-9460276 or Louise Fletcher at Living Earth 083 655 3019.

 

Online Article