Water project needs support

Litterboom, an initiative committed to cleaning river streams and oceans, hopes for greater assistance from local authorities and community involvement which they believe is key in protecting marine life.

Litterboom project media manager Casey Pratt said the initiative’s staff regularly faced a number of challenges, including:

• Invasive plants such as water hyacinth which has emerged as a problem in Umlazi River;

• Adverse weather conditions which disrupt the cleaning efforts;

• Plastic pollution where greater volumes of plastic have been collected;

• Severely polluted rivers where there is an untreated sewerage discharge and ecoli levels are high;

• Chemical spills and illegal dumping of chemicals into storm water drains which lands up in the rivers.

Pratt believes a lot can be achieved with the involvement of more role-players.

“Engaging local communities and raising awareness about the importance of reducing plastic use and participating in clean-up activities are vital. While we have made great strides, it remains a challenge to maintain consistent and widespread participation,” she said told the Independent on Saturday.

Pratt said in some instances their staff had been intimidated when operating in volatile communities.

She expressed disappointment at the response for pleas for assistance, but stressed that this would not dishearten them in their founding mandate.

“In our efforts to collaborate with (Producer Responsibility Organisations) PROs and municipalities, we have encountered challenges, including bureaucratic red tape and the complexities of navigating political landscapes. These obstacles highlight the importance of real commitment to meaningful solutions. We are eager to work with stakeholders who share our vision for impactful, sustainable change in plastic waste management and are dedicated to finding solutions to the plastic crisis our environment faces,” Pratt said.

Litterboom Project activists are likely to face major weather challenges later this year. South African Weather Service forecaster Sizwe Dlamini said they expected above average rainfall between October and December.

Despite the challenges, Pratt remains optimistic about the future and their efforts.

“We remain hopeful and committed to building stronger partnerships with PROs and producers. We believe that by working together, we can develop long-term solutions that not only address the environmental impact of plastic waste but also drive positive social change,” she said.

The Litterboom Project was initiated in 2017 by founder Cameron Service with a special focus on plastic pollution in KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.