Join us for Trash Bash this Saturday at Monwabisi Beach

Our oceans are facing a human-made plastic catastrophe. With estimates being that by 2050 there will be more plastic, by weight, than fish in the ocean, the time is now to make a difference and clean up our acts. Studies have shown that millions of seabirds have ingested plastic and a staggering number of sea animals die each year from plastic ingestion. Plastic has truly permeated into the deepest recesses of our natural world and has even entered our food chain.

Plastic doesn’t break down; it doesn’t degrade and become part of the natural system again. In fact, plastic breaks up. It breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces until it becomes small enough, not only for small fish to mistake it for food, but research has found that even plankton is now mistaking this “forever material” for food and consuming it, introducing it into the food chain at the lowest level.

The question now is: What can we do to stop this pollution of our oceans? Considering that 80% of plastic found in the oceans originates on land, the answer is actually quite simple - we can intervene in the cycle of pollution entering the oceans via land, by removing it from the beaches and the wetlands, and preventing it from entering the water in the first place.

Apart from being good for the environment, cleanups are also good for us humans. Anyone who has spent time with us, taking part in a cleanup, knows that it’s actually a chance to have a ball, to spend time with friends and family, to breathe in some fresh air, and to leave a slightly better, slightly more informed person.

What better way to give back than having fun while doing it?

All Trash Bash beach cleanups are run in coordination with the City of Cape Town. After the cleanup is complete, all the collected trash is gathered in an agreed-upon collections spot for the City's Solid Waste Management team to collect.

Unfortunately, much of the litter that is collected at beach cleanups cannot be recycled. Paper and plastic items need to have a high degree of purity to be recycled by local facilities and, in most cases, this is simple not possible with the tarnished litter that is collected. In these cases, the best we can do is ensure that they are properly disposed of by City of Cape Town's Solid Waste Management team, so they don't end up in the ocean again.

In cases where there are readily recyclable materials - such as glass bottles left on beaches, metal waste, or even the trash bags themselves - we will make special arrangements or allow these to be sorted into the correct waste streams by the teams from the City of Cape Town.

Trash Bash attendees are encouraged to support The Beach Coop's Dirty Dozen™ Methodology - a project to track the 12 most commonly found litter items on local beaches and rocky coastlines.

Participants can support this project by downloading the Marine Debris Tracker app on Android or iOS, and joining The Beach Coop's project. This will present you will a tally that can be used as items are collected (a perfect task for a family member who might have trouble bending for the trash collection, but who would still like to contribute).

At every Trash Bash, the weight and attendance of the event is recorded by the team and, if the wind permits, we will tally and separate the individual items too.

Clothing: Like any beach visit, please take care to dress appropriately for the weather, wear sunscreen, and ensure that you have a way to keep your personal belongings with you. If you want to delve into the dunes or kelp drifts to find litter, we'd recommend closed shoes.

Food & drink: We encourage all attendees to stay hydrated and have snack - but, please do your best to use reusable bottles and containers.

Trash collection: If you'd like to wear gloves, please bring your own (basic gardening gloves are ideal). We also encourage attendees to bring a bucket along for their collections that can be decanted at the trash collection station - families often share one or two buckets. A limited number of disposable bags and gloves will be available to attendees, but even the most sustainable single-use option will never be as good as your own reusables.

Phone: It's a great idea to bring a phone with the Marine Debris Tracker app installed (see question above), and of course to share your photos with us!

Like any beach visit, facilities are limited, but we'll do our best to always ensure the following:

Bathrooms: We select beaches that have either their own public restroom, or where there is a restroom at a nearby facility, such as a petrol station. We do not provide these facilities ourselves, but will be able to point them out to attendees.

First aid: A basic first aid kit is kept at the Aquarium's gazebo, and we'll always have at least one staff members with at least a Level 3 First Aid qualification to assist with basic situations. A sharps disposal container is also kept for cases where hazardous items are found by an attendee.

We never cancel a Trash Bash unless there is an actual hazard. Rain or shine, the Two Oceans Aquarium will be there!

We'll always have spot prizes at Trash Bash! These are awarded at the end of the cleanup, after the group photo, and can range from Aquarium tickets to gifts and meals from partners who may have teamed up with us for a specific cleanup.