Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s #SpringCleanCT campaign is under way, and so far more than 800 bags of rubbish have been removed from communities.
The City, through its Directorate of Urban Waste Management, launched the #SpringCleanCT campaign in an effort to mobilise communities against illegal dumping and littering.
The campaign has banded together various organisations, residents and businesses across Cape Town to clean their communities alongside City staff.
Urban Waste Management Mayco member Grant Twigg said: “Littering and dumping are sometimes justified by perpetrators as job creation, but they do not think of the impact littering and dumping has on the health and well-being of the community.
“Organising clean-ups and reporting these individuals to the authorities shows there are also victims of dumping and communities want to create more positive environments for human potential to flourish. Let’s all work together to help keep Cape Town clean.”
He said residents are encouraged to use the 24-hour toll-free number 0800 110077 for illegal dumping tipoffs. If your tip-off leads to an arrest, you will be eligible for a reward.
Meanwhile, on various beaches across the country, even on the shores of Robben Island, environmentalists, company representatives, and some members of the public have been picking up rubbish in commemoration of International Coastal Cleanup Day.
The day is observed on September 16, as a day to clean coastal areas and advocate for the conservation and preservation of oceans.
This year, local entities and big corporations participated in cleaning coastal areas across the country. Among them were the Two Oceans Marathon, South African Breweries and Coca-Cola.
Two Oceans Aquarium Conservation and Sustainability manager Helen Lockhart said: “Beach clean-ups are vital as they prevent plastic and other trash from being deposited into the ocean and beyond our shores. Cleaning a beach is one of many ways of contributing to our responsibility for ensuring a healthy, natural environment, while providing data for scientific studies.”