Sizani school kids clean up Salt Rock main beach

The importance of protecting the environment was the core message at a recent Salt Rock beach clean-up.

Organised by Sasol Salt Rock’s Fishaways restaurant and Sizani Combined School, in conjunction with Salt Rock ward councillor Privi Makhan and the KwaDukuza Municipality, 89 pupils joined the initiative.

Before the start of the clean-up, KwaDukuza municipal education and waste officer, Lungelo Makhanya, spoke on the severe negative impact plastic has on the environment, especially in rivers and the ocean.

He said it was the responsibility of everyone to do what they could to protect the environment.

“Poor waste disposal is a massive problem and we need to change the way we think,” he said.

Makhanya emphasised waste had value and said the municipality had a pilot project in the pipeline to begin rolling out recycling efforts locally.

Still in its infancy though, the goal of the pilot project will be to distribute clear refuse bags for recyclables, which is sorted and separated at the source before being collected by the municipality.

According to Makhanya, the pilot project is about a month away, with one ward identified for testing thus far.

Fishaways’ Hlengiwe Njilo urged children to do their bit for the environment.

“Wherever you go in your daily lives, be sure to pick up a piece of plastic when you see it and throw it in a trash bin,” she said.

With the added incentive of a free meal to the family of the child who collected the first full bag of trash from the beach, pupils quickly jumped into action.

About 30 bags of waste were collected.

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