Youth-led volunteers collect 200kg of litter from storm-ravaged Durban beaches

Passionate about keeping the community clean and preserving the natural beauty of the Bluff area was what motivated schoolboy Waylon Murray to lead a team of volunteers to collect 50 bags of litter from the beaches.

Waylon’s team, dubbed the Bluff Tidy Team, is just one of the volunteer groups that picked up litter from the beach sands along Durban’s coastline following torrential rainfall this week. 

Waylon, 16, and in Grade 10, said that litter has a significant impact on the environment, wildlife, and human health. Murray was concerned about the harm to marine life, contamination of the food chain, and even the local economy.

For instance, he said that plastic waste can break down into microplastics, which can be ingested by humans through seafood consumption, posing health risks.

“During our recent clean-up event, we collected approximately 50 large bags of litter, weighing around 200kg. The types of litter collected included food wrappers, straws, plastic bottle caps, takeaway containers, and other plastic waste,” he said.

Waylon said that while volunteers made significant progress in clearing the beaches and parks of debris and dirt, there was still more work to be done.

“Our team will continue to organise regular clean-up events to maintain the cleanliness of the area and protect the environment. While it can be physically demanding and emotionally challenging to witness the extent of pollution, we're motivated by the positive impact we are making and the sense of community that comes with working together towards a common goal,” he added. 

Denise Ann Mc Creadie, the coordinator of Clean Blue Lagoon, said the amount of rubbish and litter that came down the river was a huge job to clean up, and every little bit collected helps the overall picture. Her team will be holding a clean-up of the Beachwood Mangroves on Saturday, March 15. 

“If you can't attend but still want to be an eco-warrior and save the ocean, then we can arrange for an unemployed person to attend on your behalf. All you need to do is to Zap us some wage money, and we will set it up for you,” Mc Creadie said.

Stavros Pillay, Springfield civic and ratepayers association, said one of the sources of the litter is a stream along Foxglove Place that flows into the Umgeni River. Stavros said he arranged for several plastic collectors to help the community clear the stream. Stavros said the source of the stream was in Burnwood Road. 

The eThekwini Municipality stated that together with stakeholders, they held a successful clean-up at Blue Lagoon. The Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit partnered with city departments, including parks, safer cities, and business support, together with the University of KwaZulu-Natal Green Compass initiative, Adopt-A-River, and We Feed SA, for the initiative.

The municipality said the clean-up was necessary as the recent storm deposited large amounts of debris and litter onto the beach, including domestic waste, branches, and other materials.

The municipality stated that it was important to remove this waste before it washes into rivers and oceans because this harms marine species. 

“To avoid this, residents and visitors are requested to stop illegal dumping and littering and to adhere to waste collection schedules,” the municipality advised. 

However, Christopher Mark Lowe had a different view. Lowe said spending millions of ratepayers' funds on glossy anti-littering campaigns with posters and sign boards isn't working either. 

“People litter not because they are ignorant but because they do not care. Now, ratepayers' funds will again have to be spent to fix the mess. Rather, they fine people who cannot be bothered to use a bin or place their refuse out for collection like the rest of us. Then, see a difference. Telling them not to litter does not work and causes more problems when it rains,” Lowe said. 

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za