At Dune Daisies, we like nothing better than to walk our dogs on the beach, make the most of the beautiful surroundings and meet our daily fitness goals. We check out the marine life, fill our lungs with ozone and let the sand tickle in-between our toes. It’s all very wonderful – until the soft sand underfoot is replaced by discarded sweet wrappers, cigarette butts, washed up soft drink cans and dumped refuse.
Our ‘whoops-a-daisies’ for this month (and not such a funny one at that) is marine litter.
Millions of tons of plastic and marine waste wash up on the world’s beaches every year (SST). We have all watched appalled at clips of people around the globe wading through literal ‘seas’ of waste. The ocean, beaches, intertidal zones, rivers, estuaries and all that live and depend on them are literally choking on a never-ending deluge of plastic and rubbish. And unfortunately, it is now happening on our doorsteps.
“The greatest threat to our planet is that someone else will save it”
Robert Swan
Here at home, it is estimated that up to a ¼ million tons of rubbish enters South Africa’s oceans as marine litter every year. We are ranked as one of the top marine polluters in the world (UNEP)! Not something to be proud of.Here’s some sobering facts:
- South Africans generate up to 1000 tons of plastic waste each day (SST)
- 80% of marine litter originates on land (UNEP)
- Over half of plastic marine litter is from ‘on-the-go’ food packaging (eg food wrappers) (Ocean Pledge)
- The amount of plastic waste entering the world’s oceans are exponentially growing each year (with an estimated 250 million tons by 2025) (Ocean Pledge)
What can we do in the face of this depressingly enormous problem? First of all – don’t panic! There are LOTS of ways that you, as the individual Dune Daisy reader can make a difference.
Lobby at a provincial/country/global scale
- Take a look at UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme www.unep.org for info on SA’s Sustainable Development Goals and Sea Shepherd www.seashepherd.org, WESSA www.wessa.org.za WWW South Africa www.wwf.org.za and the Sustainable Seas Trust www.sst.org.za for multiple ways to become involved.
Organise a beach clean-up in your area
- There are lots of organised coastal clean-ups, check facebook & Instagram for one near you. The Kromme Trust here in St Francis Bay organises clean-ups www.stfranciskrommetrust.co.za as do the local surf clubs (Slipway Surf Club and Seal Point Boardriders Club). Or else, grab some friends and family members, a few bags and tongs and go pick up.
Sign your own ocean pledge
- Check out www.oceanpledge.org for some life changing, inspiring ways to make a difference.
“The trash and litter of nature disappears into the ground with the passing of each year, but man’s litter has more permanence”
John Steinbeck
Download the Marine Debris Checker
- Part of the Beach Co-op www.thebeachcoop.org, this nifty app allows you to record your beach clean-up activities and contribute towards larger scale research – pretty cool, hey?
Take the Zero to Ocean Hero Challenge
- WWW South Africa has a 5 week challenge you can sign up for – we have, do you have what it takes? www.explore.panda.org
Make July Plastic Free
- Become part of a global movement to reduce plastic use and take the ‘Plastic Free July’ challenge. This website is jam packed full of info and will show you many ways to reduce your plastic usage. www.plasticfreejuly.org