IN THE WAKE OF WASTE: WHY BEACH CLEANUPS ARE MORE THAN JUST A QUICK TIDY. You’ve arrived at the beach. Do you feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and- the crinkle of a chip bag beneath your feet? Unfortunately, your beach day isn’t the only thing that’s been ruined by the presence of trash. That’s why the benefits of a beach cleanup are more than just skin deep. There are many reasons to get active and join a cleanup event. First and foremost, now more than ever we need to collect the trash that harms wildlife and pollutes our environment. We have created more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic since 1950, and the vast majority of it ends up in landfills or finds its way into every nook and cranny of our natural environment.
That’s a lot of garbage, which means that we need a lot of hands if we want a chance at keeping up. Did you know? Cigarette butts are made of plastic, and are actually the number one form of beach litter? “I wish this beach had more trash on it”, said no one ever. Secondly, by taking part in a beach cleanup you come face-to-face with everyday products that end up polluting our environment. This confrontation with trash may have you thinking twice about using plastic cutlery, a straw, or a plastic shopping bag. In a place like Cape Town, we are often separated by time and distance from some of the worst effects of plastic pollution. Making the choice to confront our sometimes trashy consumer and disposal choices might have a positive impact. Let’s all pitch in to make sure on our next beach visit- it’s just sand beneath our feet and our future decision making. It doesn’t take much to make a difference.
We need funds to acquire our own vehicle to transport unwanted materials or trash, as well as provide simple food for would be volunteers during the event of Beach Clean-Up. A cheap transporting vehicle is good enough to help transport materials and convert waste materials into new materials and useful objects.
Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in advance for your support.