Ocean conservation takes centre stage at Ballito Pro 2025

THE Ballito Pro, presented by O’Neill, is set to make waves—in more ways than one—this year as ocean conservation takes a central stage through an innovative recycling and education campaign spearheaded by Litter4Tokens. 

From June 30 to July 9, the 10-day surfing event will not only showcase some of the world’s top surfers, but will also engage spectators in a robust initiative aimed at environmental responsibility. This effort is supported by major sponsors, including Petco, the President Stimulus Fund, and Brownie Points.

At the heart of this initiative is a dedicated recycling station positioned at the Lifesaving Hut on Ballito Beach. Litter4Tokens will manage a comprehensive waste collection process, where materials gathered from branded bins set up within contest areas will be sorted, weighed, and documented using the innovative Litterhub app. With more than 20 collectors roving the event site daily, spectators will have their recyclables efficiently removed and diverted from landfills.

Organisers say that last year’s campaign yielded impressive results, with a staggering 694 bags of recyclable material collected, equating to over 1,157 kg in weight. While the figures highlight the need for continued environmental vigilance, they also expose a grim reality: approximately 472 kg of waste still ended up in landfills. However, 3.56 kg of nurdles—tiny plastic pellets notorious for environmental damage—were successfully extracted from the beach. All collected materials will be carefully logged using the Litterhub app, ensuring transparent data collection and allowing for real-time reporting on waste management efforts.

The financial impact of this recycling initiative is equally substantial. Recycling rebates earned during the event will fund the collection of 1,000 bags of ocean-bound waste, providing support to community members through R39 worth of resources for personal protective equipment, wages, and training. This approach embodies the dual aim of the campaign: promoting environmental sustainability whilst engendering economic resilience within local communities.

This year Litter4Tokens celebrates its 10-year anniversary. Since its inception in 2015, the campaign has achieved remarkable feats, preventing over 3.92 million bags of ocean-bound waste and empowering a staggering 982,000 individuals. Furthermore, the project has engaged 2,432 collectors across 22 collection points throughout South Africa and averages an impressive 72,000 bags of sorted waste monthly.

Highlighting its commitment to environmental education, Litter4Tokens launched the National Nurdle Clean-up Campaign at the Ballito Pro in 2019. This movement has educated more than 79,000 people and contributed to the removal of over 34 kg of nurdles from coastal environments. Clare Swithenbank-Bowman, the campaign’s founder, has innovatively developed the Litterhub app—an unprecedented tool globally for tracking recycling data from collection to processing. Beyond visibility, the app provides sponsors with detailed reporting, enhancing transparency and mitigating the risks of greenwashing.

Amid its ongoing efforts, Litter4Tokens has garnered international recognition, with the organisation nominated for the Earthshot Prize in Cape Town in 2024. Continually striving for innovation, Swithenbank-Bowman and her team invite event attendees to participate in the National Mermaid Tear Catcher campaign, where volunteers can actively engage in sieving sand to collect nurdles—often described as “Mermaid Tears.” Participation comes with enticing major prizes and offers individuals the opportunity to contribute to the greater environmental cause.

Since the alarming discovery of a 45-ton nurdle spill in Durban Harbour in 2019, Swithenbank-Bowman has been an advocate for reclassifying nurdles as hazardous materials under international shipping codes. She believes that as long as nurdles continue to escape into the ocean, spills like those witnessed during the 2021 X-Press Pearl disaster in Sri Lanka will remain a looming threat. “We believe that prevention is better than cure, as once they are in the ocean and the environment, it is too late,” she stated, stressing the need for stringent regulations.

With an estimated 230,000 tonnes of nurdles entering the ocean annually and 23 billion released daily in the EU alone, as reported by the Plastic Soup Foundation, the need for proactive measures has never been more pressing. Throughout the Ballito Pro 2025, waste diversion, recycling rates, and nurdle collection will be closely monitored, culminating in a comprehensive sustainability report that will detail the campaign’s impact and transparency initiatives.

The future of marine ecosystems hinges on vigilant community action and collaboration. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up online or visit the Litter4Tokens tent on the beach for sorting and educational outreach opportunities. For additional information or inquiries, interested individuals may reach out via email at clare@litter4tokens.co.za.