Clean-ups require collective action

This year marks the 25th year that Plastics SA will be coordinating SA’s participation in the International Coastal CleanUp and World Cleanup Day taking place tomorrow. Both these events will form a key part of the annual Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week this week (September 13-18).

The issue of plastic litter and other waste material entering the marine environment attracted little attention 25 years ago. Today, it is a major focus of governments, industry and individuals around the world, says Douw Steyn, Plastics SA’s Sustainability Director.

“Thanks to this awareness, we are seeing much greater support and participation in beach, river and inland cleanups from communities, corporates, municipalities and national government.”

In most cases, says Steyn, these have sprung from the International Coastal Clean-Up Day, which remains the largest global volunteer effort for ocean health. He also reports that the demographic make-up of volunteers has changed over the years — attracting participation from all walks of life, different age groups and nationalities.

“We’ve already distributed more than 350,000 refuse bags that will be used for this year’s clean-ups and are expecting well over 13,000 volunteers to participate in beach clean-ups and as many as 80,000 volunteers at inland clean-ups.”

The two main clean-up initiatives — International Coastal Clean-Up Day and Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week — complement each other because litter and pollution are clearly not just an issue for coastal regions, explains Steyn. “The bulk of the plastic litter that ends up on SA’s beaches and in the ocean is transported there by inland river systems.”

The annual Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week, the newly launched River Clean-Up Day on September 15, National Recycling Day on September 17 and SA’s participation in the World Clean-up Day and International Coastal Clean-Up Day on September 18 are vital platforms for raising education and awareness, and for everyone to be part of the solution.

“This annual public awareness week is supported by all the packaging streams in SA to work towards removing visible litter from our country’s neighbourhoods and streets, rivers, streams, beaches and oceans,” says Steyn, adding that there is a need to reinforce the message that waste has a value, and that recycling can create much-needed jobs.

“There’s a big need among recyclers for clean, good quality material that has been collected and separated for recycling,” he says. “These materials are used in a myriad ways in applications ranging from lightweight cement to household items and even brand name sneakers and clothing manufactured from ocean waste.”

Recycling waste has a positive impact on the amount of waste being diverted from landfill. “Don’t forget that in SA many coastal areas targeted during Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week are rural areas where collection for recycling is still in its infancy and where effective waste management services by local municipalities are lacking.”

Plastics SA works closely with these communities — as well as inland communities — who assist with the cleaning up of rivers and streams. The umbrella body for the plastics industry provides logistical support to clean various rivers in the Durban Metropole, Gqeberha’s Motherwell and Swartkops waterways and waterways in the Cape Town Metropole, he says.

Support is given to various organisations nationally by making items such as refuse bags, gloves, rakes, spades, waders, boots, piping and nets for water barriers to capture floating debris available.

“In the Cape Town Metropole, for example, we have started retrieving as much plastic material from rivers and streams as possible before they end up in the ocean. Most of this material is made of rigid plastics such as buckets, containers and bottles and is therefore highly recyclable. Unfortunately, due to little or no municipal services in the poorer areas, waterways are often treated as conduits to remove all waste material, resulting in water pollution.”

Littering and dumping material — irrespective of whether it is flicking a cigarette butt out of a car window, throwing a chip packet on the beach or dumping building rubble in empty areas — is both socially unacceptable and environmentally irresponsible, argues Steyn.

“The quality of waste management in SA is improving, but we need to continue putting pressure on municipalities — particularly in rural areas — as well as communities, to start seeing waste as a valuable resource that creates employment and should be collected and recycled. That’s the only way to build a truly circular economy,” he says.