Cape Town: The Water and Sanitation and Urban Waste Management Directorates of the city partnered with ‘The Litterboom Project’ and the ‘Rondebosch Golf Club’ to clean a section of the Black River on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in celebration of the upcoming World Earth Day on April 22.
The activity was a testament that proves the commitment of the city in improving the quality and cleanliness of our waterways.
Reducing the water pollution is a global challenge and in recognising the importance of proactive measures to mitigate pollution and preserve the natural resources, the city has joined the forces with The Litterboom Project.
The project is an initiative completely dedicated to tackling plastic pollution in the environment by using various interception strategies.
Moreover, the pioneering project maintains and operates the Litterbooms on the Vygekraal and Black Rivers in Sybrand Park, along with the Big and Little Lotus Rivers in Green Park that leads to Zeekoevlei, in Observatory.
Notably, on average, 1200kg of waste is removed per week and approximately 5000kg per month across five sites where the waste interceptors were installed.
The partnership mainly focuses on placing the litterbooms to trap and then remove the litter and other debris from the waterways. The amount of litter collected within the rivers can be decreased by the strategic placement of the litterbooms and similar impactful clean-up operations.
Considering this the Founder of The Litterboom Project – Cameron Service said that they are thrilled to partner with the City of Cape Town in the shared mission to combat water pollution.
“Through collaboration and community engagement, we believe we can make a difference,” mentioned Cameron Service.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien stated that this partnership demonstrates the commitment to environmental stewardship and the sustainable management of precious water resources.
Councillor Badroodien confirmed that by collaborating with The Litterboom Project and many other similar organisations they can make meaningful strides towards achieving a cleaner and healthier environment.