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19 Aug 2023

Turning the tide of trash on our beaches

Juan Venter (North Coast Courier) Picture: rett Howell of Hunt Properties, Salt Rock ward councillor Privi Makhan, TLP beach cleaners Yamkela Mbokodwana and Bongani Fana Dludla, with Josh Redman of TLP, Dax Barker of Hunt Properties and Mike Gahagan.

A pledge to the purity of sand and sea will see Salt Rock main beach become a pilot project for North Coast non-profit organisation, The Litterboom Project (TLP). Thanks to the support of Hunt Properties, the clean-up effort started by TLP will span six months as the award-winning non-profit tackles pollution plaguing the beach from Chaka’s Rock through to Villa Royale.

Two cleaners have been employed to ensure the beach stays spotless, with work beginning last Monday.

Dubbed ‘Back a Beach’, the initiative will see cleaners collect rubbish on a weekly basis, supported by Dolphin Coast Waste Management.

Dax Barker of Hunt Properties said they had a responsibility to protect Salt Rock’s image as a tourist destination.

TLP’s Josh Redman said they hoped to expand to other local beaches in time, once funding was in place. TLP was founded by Cameron Service in Tinley Manor in 2017. It focuses on reclaiming waste in a number of KwaZulu-Natal rivers. To date, more than 500 000 kg of plastic waste has been collected. Their efforts saw them win Ocean Hub Africa’s Plastics Innovation and Circularity Challenge earlier this year.

Cleaners tasked with looking after Salt Rock main beach have been trained to comb the beach in search of plastic of all kinds.

Dolphin Coast Waste Management, in partnership with Ballito Street Sweeping, is also backing the effort, with the company’s project manager Tina Gumede saying they were proud to do so.

Their contribution includes the ongoing supply of tools and equipment when these become needed, as well as the collection and disposal of collected waste.

To support The Litterboom Project, visit www.thelitterboomproject.com.