Plastic Free Mzansi urges people to be part of the solution to end plastic pollution
KRISTIN ENGEL
Cape Town - Volunteers were up bright and early on Thursday morning to join The Beach Co-op and Twyg for their July new moon beach clean-up at Surfers Corner in Muizenberg where they got down and dirty as the Plastic Free July movement came to a close.
The Beach Co-Op team said “We want to encourage people to think about their plastic use and where it all ends up. Shifting away from single use plastic and disposing of plastic correctly goes a long way in keeping our oceans clean. But small acts are easy to do, and they accumulate. Together, we can make a great impact through small actions.”
The clean-up formed part of the larger Plastic Free Mzansi campaign which was supported by numerous organisations, including Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB), to strengthen their mission and urge people to be part of the solution to end plastic pollution.
Twyg founder Jackie May said: “We are working together on a considered campaign of caring for the environment and for people. Using storytelling, design experiments, and immersive environmental experiences – we intend to influence climate-positive behaviour change.”
CCPB head of public affairs, communication and sustainability, Priscilla Urquhart said they were eager to see more people join the campaign and help keep beaches and communities clean and waste-free.
“By working together with The Beach Co-op and Twyg to raise awareness, we’re hoping to empower people to take control of their role in reducing plastic waste,” Urquhart said.
The Beach Co-Op team said it was hard to place the blame on a single form of pollution, the greater issue was that society had become so dependent on plastics.
“We mostly find straws, cooldrink lids and sweet wrappers, which indicates where our dependence on plastic lies and which industries need to rethink their packaging. But ultimately, plastic waste, and waste in general, is part of a systemic issue and that is always front and centre in the work that we do,” they said.
Those involved in the Plastic Free Mzansi campaign looked forward to cleaning beaches and raising awareness about plastic pollution and solutions through immersive environmental experiences – the next clean-up would be held at Monwabisi Beach on November 5.
kristin.engel@inl.co.za