Cape Town is renowned for its Blue Flag-status beaches, some of which are ranked among the best in the world. To keep these shores pristine, many volunteers organise regular beach clean-ups – and now you can get involved!
Understanding Blue Flag Beaches
Blue Flag is a status given by the Blue Flag Organisation, one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats. These beaches adhere to a certain standard of safety, cleanliness, amenities and environmental standards. Eight beaches in the Cape Town were awarded the Blue Flag, including Clifton 4th, Camps Bay, Llandudno, Mnandi Beach, Strandfontein Beach, Muizenberg Beach, and Fish Hoek.
Why Beach Clean-ups?
Gregory Player, the director of Cape Town Beach Clean-Up, emphasises that these clean-ups are essential for reducing pollution and keeping our oceans clean.
“It creates opportunities for people of all ages to learn about environmental conservation and take the necessary action. By participating, volunteers are giving back to the environment and their community, learning about the impact of waste on marine life and discovering ways to make a difference,” he explained.
Beach Clean-ups to Check Out
The Beach Co-op
The Beach Co-op has been turning every New Moon into a meaningful mission at Surfers Corner in Muizenberg since 2015. During these intertidal clean-ups, volunteers are encouraged to collect litter while keeping an eye out for marine life and capturing photos of any species spotted along the way.
Check out their upcoming cleanup initiatives on their website.
Website: www.thebeachcoop.org/cleanups/
Cape Town Beach Clean-up
Cape Town Beach Clean-up hosts beach clean-ups on the first and second Saturday of every month, with bags and gloves provided. Just look out for the blue banners on the beach to join.
Check their social media for upcoming events.
Website: www.cleanc.co.za
Trash Bash
Hosted by the Two Oceans Aquarium and the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, this clean-up initiative has brought together ocean lovers. They organise clean-ups at various beaches across the Mother City, bringing together people who are passionate about protecting our coastline.
The Trash Bash events use the Dirty Dozen methodology, which focuses on the 12 most common items polluting our beaches, including plastic bags, bottles, straws, and sweet wrappers. These collected items are carefully recorded, providing valuable data to citizen science projects that study the sources and impacts of plastic pollution in our oceans.
During these clean-ups, participants form small groups, with one team member acting as the scribe to document all collected waste, while the others gather and sort through the trash to identify each item.
Website: www.aquarium.co.za/events/trash-bash
Save a Fishie
“Do Good, Feel Good” is the driving motto at Save a Fishie. Founded by Zoë Prinsloo at just 16 years old, the organisation regularly hosts beach clean-ups across Cape Town, all aimed at raising awareness and inspiring action. Since its inception, Save a Fishie has led over 300 beach clean-ups, removing 30 tons of litter from local shores.
Beyond Cape Town, they travel along South Africa’s coastline, gathering vital data and conducting research to understand and combat ocean pollution. Check out their upcoming cleanup initiatives on their website.
Website: saveafishie.co.za/
