THE Litterboom Project, an environmental non-profit organisation, recently earned global recognition after being named a winner in the inaugural Defenders Awards, specifically in the Defenders of the Sea category.

The Litterboom Project is being recognised for its consistent beach jam sessions held throughout KZN, including areas like Durban South.

Also read: The Litterboom Project tackles plastic build-up of Cuttings Beach

The Defender Awards 

The Defenders Awards were initially created to celebrate smaller conservation and humanitarian organisations, particularly those demonstrating a notable impact within their communities.

They recognised impact across four distinct categories, land, wild, humanity and sea. From a global shortlist of 56 projects, The Litterboom Project stood out for its practical and easily replicable method of stopping waste at its point of origin.

What this win means?

Casey Pratt, a spokesperson for The Litterboom Project, said that this recognition signified a crucial moment, not just for their non-profit, but for the broader landscape of environmental conservation initiatives unfolding across SA. 

“The ocean’s plastic problem starts upstream, this support will help The Litterboom Project access more challenging sites, strengthen operations and continue building practical solutions that protect ecosystems while creating livelihoods,” said Pratt.

Also read: Community comes together for beach clean-up

In addition to the award the organisation was presented with a Land Rover Defender vehicle. They also secured R2 230 320 in sponsorship funding and gained access to mentorship opportunities, facilitated through the Kingsley Holgate Foundation, Kerri Wolter, and the Tusk Trust.

The organisation’s CEO Cameron Service said that receiving the award felt like a profound honour, yet also a substantial responsibility.

“This is an incredible privilege to be recognised as a winner and champion of our oceans among so many amazing global organisations. It is a responsibility we don’t take lightly, and we look forward to using this opportunity to grow our partnerships and expand our impact for the benefit of people and planet,” he said. 

A different model

With the combined efforts of its Litterboom teams, Back a Beach teams, and community reclaimers, the organisation manages to extract roughly five tonnes of waste from the environment each day.

Lasting effort

In the past 12 months alone, the organisation successfully intercepted one million kilograms of waste, which is roughly equivalent to 120 large shipping containers.

The Litterboom Project emerged as the sole African winner in its category, establishing the organisation as a prominent voice in the global fight against ocean pollution.

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