Volunteers collect over 100 bags of rubbish in Robben Island beach clean-up
|Published
World famous Robben Island got a beach clean-up on Thursday as volunteers collected more than 100 bags of rubbish washed up from the mainland. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)
Cape Town - World famous Robben Island got a beach clean-up on Thursday as volunteers collected more than 100 bags of rubbish washed up from the mainland.
Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) hosted the clean-up with approximately 100 volunteers.
Robben Island senior manager for heritage and research Thabo Seshoka said: “The waste ending up on the island comes from the mainland which is initially blown into the ocean and washed onto the island. People need to realise that their actions on the mainland have an impact on the other side of it as well.”
He said although clean-ups had been postponed during the lockdown, this allowed the island to focus even more on conservation efforts.
Researchers were able to fully analyse species and its data.
Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation chief executive Maryke Musson said: “Robben Island is home to so many bird species and we
have seen so many micro and macro plastics on the island, which are often mistaken as food. All the waste found on the island is actually not initially from the island which is a scary thought to think of.”
She said a lot of the plastic containers collected were also in different languages, which showed that shipping and international vessels were also part of this pollution.
CCPB spokesperson Priscilla Urquhart said: “A lot of protecting the environment begins with education. As much as citizens would purchase beverages from a particular company, it’s as important for them to understand how to recycle the packaging.”
She said CCPB was increasingly moving towards returnable packaging using recycled PET bottles.
“Consumers need to be aware of what happens to a product once used. All citizens and stakeholders need to play their role in sustaining the environment,” she said.
Cape Argus