Tens of thousands of bottle caps collected from local beaches will help give the gift of mobility to someone who cannot afford a wheelchair.

The caps were gathered during monthly beach clean-ups hosted by the North Coast Beaches group, as well as by community volunteers combing the streets. Recently donated to the Sweethearts Foundation, the caps will contribute to the non-profit organisation’s initiative that uses funds generated from specific recycling efforts to provide wheelchairs for those in need.

“We accept bottle caps, bread tags, disposable coffee cup lids and the aluminium tabs from cans,” said Sweethearts Foundation’s Northern KZN manager, Meg McDonald.

“As a general rule, every 1 750kg of recycled material equates to one wheelchair, which is allocated according to requests we receive. Some specialised wheelchairs can cost more.”

The Sweethearts Foundation was founded in 2009 and has since grown a national footprint, although it remains largely focused in Gauteng and the Western Cape. McDonald hopes to change that in KZN and has already hosted an event in Ballito since her recent move to the coast.

“The caps need to be sorted by colour before being recycled, so we host sorting days and encourage the community to get involved,” she said.

“We can offer community service hours and it is a good way to make a genuine difference in someone’s life.”

The next sorting event will be held at the Ballito Farmers Market on Saturday, December 6, from 9am to 3pm.

Outside of the event, donations of any size are welcome and donors are encouraged to pre-sort their recycling by colour. Donations can be made directly to Meg, who can be reached at 082 455 2970 or megm@sweetheartsfoundation.org.

Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.

Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.