FAQ: Join Coastal Cleanup Day

Saturday 15 September is International Coastal Cleanup Day.

Last year, 600 000 volunteers took part in coastal cleanups and removed over 4 million kg litter from the world's beaches.

Litter isn't only an aesthetic problem; it leaches pollutants and entangles marine life. Coastal Cleanups also count thelitter items, and the top offenders have been found to be cigarette butts, bottle caps and lids, plastic bottles and bags.

So organise your own cleanup, or join one of the events at beaches and wetlands round the country e.g. Capetonians can join the Sunset Beach cleanup, hosted by the Two Oceans Aquarium in collaboration with Plastics SA, Transnet and the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative Email Katja.Rockstroh@aquarium.co.za. Bags and gloves will be supplied to volunteers

For Coastal Cleanup Day events in other parts of the country, see the contact list on the Clean Up South Africa web site.

Olivia Rose-Innes, EnviroHealth Editor, Health24, August 2012