A recent beach clean-up at Lagoon Beach, Milnerton, has resulted in one of the most significant single-day litter removals by environmental volunteers, with over 1 000kg of waste cleared in just over an hour.
The initiative, led by Save a Fishie, brought together just over 20 volunteers who worked through a heavy dumping of flotsam that had been pushed ashore following recent river and ocean conditions.
Founder of Save a Fishie, Zoë Prinsloo, described the scale of the pollution as both “shocking” and motivating.
Massive milestone achieved
Prinsloo said the clean-up quickly exceeded expectations as volunteers uncovered large volumes of waste, including nappies, shoes, clothing, plastic bottles, tyres, stuffed toys, a blanket, and even a mattress.
“What a morning,” said Prinsloo. “Today’s beach clean-up at Lagoon Beach, Milnerton was nothing short of incredible. With just over 20 volunteers, we achieved what honestly felt impossible.”
She added that the group had removed more than 200 nappies, possibly closer to 300, during the operation.
From tons to triumph
The clean-up marked the organisation’s 520th operation, a milestone that reflects years of ongoing coastal protection work.
Prinsloo said the group had also surpassed a major cumulative target during the effort.
“We absolutely pole-vaulted over it,” she said. “Final total collected: 1 009 kg of litter removed in just over an hour.”
The organisation also confirmed that it has now removed over 57 tons of waste since its inception.
Despite the scale of the task, Prinsloo highlighted the impact of a small but dedicated team.
“At least six of today’s volunteers were over the age of 50, and three were over 70 years old,” she said. “Today proved once again that you do not need hundreds of people to make a difference. You just need people who care.”
Support was also acknowledged from Plastics|SA for providing cleanup bags and aQuellé for supplying hydration to volunteers.
“Rethink the Stink” warns of upstream pollution crisis
Environmental group ReThink The Stink has also raised concerns about the broader source of pollution affecting Cape Town’s coastline.
The group highlighted satellite imagery showing heavily polluted floodwaters in Cape Town rivers, particularly the Black River, which carries large volumes of litter into the ocean at Paarden Eiland.
It warned that strong currents redistribute this waste along key coastal areas including Granger Bay, the Atlantic Seaboard, Robben Island and the West Coast.
“Together with upstream interventions, the Black River urgently needs an industrial-scale litter interceptor before this waste reaches the ocean,” the group stated.
Both initiatives highlight the growing pressure on coastal ecosystems and the importance of both volunteer action and long-term infrastructure solutions to prevent pollution from reaching the ocean in the first place.
ALSO READ: Save a Fishie calls public to sign petition to ban plastic lollipop sticks
