Plastic Patrol is back on the beat

Writer: Sarah Taylor.

Covid-19 surrealism has ruptured more than our economic and social stability. The environment has also suffered. Quarantine regulations and limits on gatherings, beach activity and exercise have meant fewer voluntary rubbish collectors and the accumulation of more waste than ever along the coast and in the ocean itself.

In addition, ‘corona-time’ has led to an increase in single-use items like disposable masks, gloves, plastic bags and plastic containers. According to the Sea Save Foundation (seasave.org), eight million tonnes of waste enters the ocean every year. In 2017, the United Nations Marine Conference heard that “as many as 51 trillion microplastic particles, 500 times more than the stars in our galaxy, litter our oceans and seas, seriously threatening marine wildlife”.

Majestic Cruising crew member Esau Mapindu and skipper Glynn Channer hauling out plastic during a routine daily clean-up in the New Harbour, Hermanus.

PHOTO: Supplied by Majestic Cruising

Enter the Plastic Patrol’s first organised event of 2020, to be held in the Hermanus New Harbour on Saturday, 11 July from 10:00 – 13:00. The event is being held, aptly, during Plastic Free July (plasticfreejuly.org), a global movement “challenging millions to combat debris by reducing everyday single-use plastic or even going completely plastic-free for the month”.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 12)