91 Bags in 90 Minutes: Eastern Cape Communities Unite to Protect Their Coast

Photo Credit: WESSA

As part of celebrating 100 years of environmental stewardship, WESSA united local youth and community volunteers to collect 91 bags of waste in just 90 minutes along the Eastern Cape shoreline for International Coastal Cleanup Day.

Eastern Cape, South Africa (06 October 2026) – In just 90 minutes, a determined group of hands cleaned and transformed a stretch of Eastern Cape shoreline that had been burdened by waste for far too long.

The environmental effort was to mark International Coastal Cleanup Day, where volunteers, local learners, and community partners rolled up their sleeves alongside WESSA on Saturday, 19 September.

Moving across sandy beaches, pebble shores, and rocky tide pools, the team turned standard environmental awareness into real, hands-on action – filling an incredible 91 bags with litter.

The day carried extra special meaning as part of WESSA’s centenary celebrations. Marking 100 years of standing up for nature, the event wasn’t just about clearing plastic. It was about passing the baton to the next generation and inspiring young people to cherish and protect our coastlines.

WESSA CEO, Cindy-Lee Cloete, with a young volunteer cutting the centenary cake. Photo Credit: WESSA

Opening the event, WESSA CEO Cindy-Lee Cloete reflected on what it means to reach 100 years of environmental action. She reminded those gathered that caring for the environment matters and that protecting it is a responsibility we all share. She thanked the partners and volunteers for taking part, noting that their presence demonstrated a real commitment to the cause.

For WESSA, this sense of shared responsibility is central to its work. Cloete described the work being done today as a legacy for future generations, reminding the learners that WESSA is made up of people caring for the Earth.

She also encouraged the learners to take responsibility and, importantly, to take action.

The day ended on a celebratory note, with WESSA staff, partners, volunteers and learners marking the organisation’s 100th year with a centenary cake. The celebration was a fitting reflection of WESSA’s centenary theme: ‘People Caring for the Earth’.

For 100 years, WESSA has worked to connect people with nature through education, advocacy and action. International Coastal Cleanup Day brought that legacy to life in a meaningful way by bringing people together to care for a shared environment and encouraging the next generation to play their part.

The work does not end when the bags are collected. The environmental organisation notes that every cleanup is also an opportunity to learn, to build awareness and to remind ourselves that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility.

Above all, the initiative gave youngsters an opportunity to experience what it means to care for the Earth and to recognise that meaningful environmental action starts with all of us.