SEPTEMBER is a significant month for the environment as South Africa and the world celebrates International Coastal Clean-Up Day.

The clean-up normally occurs on the third Saturday in September and encourages people to pick up litter plaguing our beaches.

It is also a chance for conservation and environmental organisations, to raise awareness about preserving and protecting the world’s oceans and waterways.

This year however, will be markedly different due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of the normal one day clean-up, volunteers and organisations can now register their clean-ups between 18 September and 30 September.

Varsha Naidu Moodley of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) is this year’s coordinator for International Coastal Clean Up Day along the Durban coastline.

“The most important thing is participants need to register their clean ups and get a permit. The reason for this is we need to ensure that there aren’t more than 50 people at a section of beach at a time. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we’ve opened up the dates which allows more people to participate and at their own leisure. If you are registering on behalf of a group, only one person needs to apply. If you would like to register your clean-up email me on: vnaidu@seaworld.org.za to let me know where you are going to clean-up and whether you will need bags to collect rubbish on the day,” she said.

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