It was a matter of all systems go for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality when it came to the implementation of this Saturday’s Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup as more than 20 tons of litter and debris was picked up by more than 2000 volunteers.
Although it is not confirmed at this stage, the marked increase in support of female volunteers could have been caused by the inspired performance of the Springboks against Fiji as the time of the programme and the 2011 World Cup match in New Zealand clashed.
Reputable companies such as Pick n Pay, Plastics South Africa, Coca-Cola, Woolworths, Rip Curl and ODI amongst many others, pulled their weight with the municipality’s Beach Office, to make this programme even more successful than the previous years.
Furthermore a marked decrease in plastic shopping bags became apparent while polystyrene containers and sachets of vinegar, salt and pepper, tomato sauce from fast food outlets increased dramatically.
This year we again targeted beaches from Van Stadens River Mouth to the pristine beaches at Colchester and hope to do even better next year.
During September each year hundreds of thousands of volunteers from more than 150 countries all over the world roll up their sleeves for this event.
The statistics will be submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism soon.
