Beach Clean-Up: To Celebrate Environmental Education Day

Feb 28, 2025 | Environmental Education, General News, Inspiration, Project News

By Purnille Albertyn

Why Every Piece of Trash Matters: The Impact of Beach Clean-Ups. Join the Movement!

The Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR) MAB-Youth and Hessequa Municipality collaborated on a beach clean-up in Still Bay at Preekstoel Beach. Six youth members from Riversdale participated in the event. The beach clean-up aimed to raise awareness and protect marine life.

The world’s oceans and beaches are facing an extraordinary crisis. Plastic pollution, litter, and rubbish are choking our marine ecosystems, harming wildlife, and threatening human health. Regular beach clean-ups are an impactful powerful way to make a difference, and everyone can participate.

Approximately 1 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans annually, accounting for 1,5% (ranging from 1.2% to 4.0%) of the 67.5 million metric tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste (MPW) generated globally each year (Meijer et al., 2021). Beaches are littered with trash, from plastic bottles and bags to fishing nets. The impact on marine life is devastating, with sea turtles, whales and fish getting entangled in or ingesting plastic waste and rubbish.

Why Beach Clean-Ups Matter

A beach clean-up is not just about picking up trash, it is an opportunity to raise awareness about the broader environmental issues affecting our coastlines. When people gather to clean up the beach, they realise the vast amount of pollution and the necessity of sustainable practices. These efforts can inspire individuals to be more mindful of their actions in everyday life, such as reducing plastic use or supporting environmentally friendly businesses.

How to Get Involved in Clean-Ups

Join local beach and river clean-ups. The best way to make a difference is by taking action in your own community. There are organisations that host beach clean-ups regularly – join them and participating in the effort. Your contribution will make a differenc!. One of the most important aspects of beach clean-ups is raising awareness. Educate the youth and communities about the importance of keeping beaches clean and not polluting the ocean by throwing trash in the water or leaving rubbish on the shore.

The next time you are walking along your favourite beach, consider how important it is to keep it free from trash and rubbish. Beach visitors can do their own beach clean-up, it does not have to be a planned group event. If you start doing it, others could be inspired to do the same thing.

Beach Clean-Up Group

The Still Bay Coastal Clean-Up Group is a dedicated team of roughly 150 local volunteers who selflessly give their time to pick up where others have left off. The team has a deep passion for their community and the stunning natural environment of the Still Bay area. Volunteers are welcome to join this movement.

Marine Protected Area: Still Bay

The Still Bay Marine Protected Area (MPA) was declared in 2008 to support the recovery of overexploited marine life, including fish and shellfish species, and to protect the Goukou River estuary and the sand bays east and west of Still Bay. It is connected to the land-based Geelkrans Nature Reserve.

Reference

Meijer, L.J.J., van Emmerik, T., Lebreton, L., Schmidt, C., van der Ent, R., & Schmidt, C. (2021). More than 1000 rivers account for 80% of global riverine plastic emissions into the ocean. Science Advances, 7(18), eaaz5803. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaz5803

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