Did you know that there is at least one beach clean up every month happening right here in Durban? At the end of last year, I started making a conscious move to reduce my plastic use. A big wake up for moving in this direction was from taking part in a local beach clean-up events. I dragged my camera along in an effort to show you what we find washed up on our shores.
The turn out was much bigger than I anticipated. I was also inspired to see so many young children taking the initiative to be involved in these clean ups! This event was organised by KZN Beach Clean Up, along with Ocean8 and Clean Surf Project. If you would like to join in the next clean up, make sure you’re following these guys!
I have to admit that arriving at Cuttings Beach and seeing how much waste litters our beaches, I couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened. But when I made your way back to the organisers tent, full bag of trash in hand, and see the difference it has made in just a few hours… there is a realisation that we can fix this.
So what can you do?
50% of the worlds plastic comes from single use items. There are so many ways you can make a difference by the daily choices you make. Start with the simple stuff that you can do easily today. Say no to single use plastic straws, take a reusable cup when you get your next coffee on the go, get yourself a glass or aluminium water bottle and ditch using plastic bags when doing shopping!
I’ll be following this post with an article on how I’ve changed my lifestyle one baby step at a time. I’m not 100% plastic free, I sometimes forget to take my tote back when I go shopping but I know that the simple things I’ve done have made a difference. I’ll share more of that with you soon!
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