We give a big ‘high five’ to The Litterboom Project for their amazing commitment to cleaning up Durban’s uMgeni River mouth. The Litterboom Project’s two-week Big Cleanup kicked off on 27 November, with a callout to corporates and the public to join their campaign.
Mr Price Foundation joined the drive on Friday, 8 December, alongside UpLift interns, wastepreneurs and the ESG team from Mr Price Group. The massive cleanup effort focused on the coastal region of the Beachwood Mangroves at the mouth of the uMgeni River, one of the most polluted rivers in the world.
Working with a relatively small but dedicated team, The Litterboom Project collected over 500 tons of waste from 27 November to 9 December.
The Litterboom Project is South Africa’s first large-scale river interception programme, using litterbooms to prevent plastic and other waste from flowing down rivers and into the oceans.
The project currently has 10 rivers under its watch: eight in KwaZulu-Natal and two in the Western Cape.
Earlier this year, The Litterboom Project was among 40 entrants to Ocean Hub Africa’s annual innovation summit, Ocean Innovation Africa (OIA). It won first place for the new Innovation Hub in Cornubia (Durban), an exciting partnership between The Litterboom Project, CHEP and Mr Price Foundation.
The Innovation Hub facilitates the training of entrepreneurs for the Foundation’s UpLift Wastepreneur Programme. In this six-month programme, wastepreneurs are empowered to upcycle and reimagine plastic pollution from rivers and oceans, to create products that increase the value of various streams of plastic. This is not only beneficial to the environment, but it creates sustainable income opportunities for the entrepreneurs.
Nelson Dumakude is the first graduate of the UpLift Wastepreneur Programme. He launched his 100% recycled planter stake at Mr Price Home stores earlier this year.
We are proud to partner with The Litterboom Project in their tireless efforts to preserve Durban’s beaches and rivers – and in upskilling a new generation of wastepreneurs.
Remember, if you see a beach clean-up taking place in your area, please dig in and help clear our environment. Thank you for being part of the solution!
All Images: © Pierre Tostee / Mr Price Foundation
