Environmental group Rethink The Stink has raised fresh concerns about hidden sources of beach pollution after hundreds of plastic sticks were collected during a cleanup at Lagoon Beach on Saturday 11 April.

The waste was gathered by Save a Fishie volunteers as part of their ongoing #BinItDontFlushIt campaign, which focuses on preventing bathroom-related litter from entering Cape Town’s waterways and coastline.

According to organisers, the discovery of earbud sticks highlights a growing and largely unseen pollution problem — items that are not discarded on beaches, but flushed down toilets and carried through the sewage system before ending up in the ocean.

“They’re not dropped on the beach. They’re flushed.”

Volunteers explained that many small items, including earbud sticks, cotton buds and wet wipes, are thin enough to slip through wastewater treatment filters. From there, they are carried into rivers and eventually washed out to sea, where tides return them to shorelines.

“This is preventable pollution,” the group said, stressing that toilets should only be used for the “3 P’s: pee, poo and paper.”

Everything else, they added, belongs in the bin.

Call for behavioural change

Save a Fishie volunteer Zoë Prinsloo said the latest cleanup formed part of their third #BinItDontFlushIt beach activation, held in partnership with the City of Cape Town and Rethink The Stink.

“On Saturday we had our third #BinItDontFlushIt beach cleanup, in proud collaboration with the City of Cape Town and Rethink The Stink, to help raise awareness about the impact that incorrectly flushed bathroom waste has on our environment and waterways,” she said.

She added that the group focused on smaller items that often go unnoticed.

“We focused on everything — from tiny nurdles, earbud sticks, lollipop sticks and bottle tops, to plastic bottles, bags and tins, and even a few bags floating in the lagoon itself,” she said.

The team removed 31 kilograms of litter during the cleanup, with organisers noting that around 80% of the waste consisted of very small plastic items.

“We were also able to provide MyStudentHouse with #BinItDontFlushIt stickers to place on toilet stall doors to help spread awareness,” Prinsloo added.

Beachgoers react to pollution concerns

Regular beach visitors expressed concern after hearing about the findings and the scale of the pollution problem.

“I had no idea things like earbud sticks could end up on the beach. It’s quite shocking when you think about how far it travels,” said Milnerton beachgoer Jason van Wyk.

Lagoon Beach visitor Nadia Jacobs said the issue highlighted the need for more public awareness. “People just don’t realise what flushing the wrong things does. Seeing it collected like that is eye-opening.”

Table View resident Liam Petersen added, “You think you’re being clean, but it actually ends up in the ocean. It’s disturbing to see it back on the beach.”

Beach regular Ayesha Damies said small changes could make a big difference. “If everyone just followed the 3 P’s rule, we wouldn’t have this problem. It really starts at home.”

Simple message, big impact

Organisers say the solution lies in changing everyday habits, stressing that even small plastic items contribute to long-term environmental damage.

“Only flush the 3 Ps — pee, poo and toilet paper. Everything else belongs in the bin,” the group said, urging the public to support the #BinItDontFlushIt campaign to help reduce pollution at its source.

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