A dedicated Litterboom Project team orchestrated a highly impactful Strike Clean-Up to disrupt a potential pipeline of waste into our precious ocean. The result? Over 18 tonnes of plastic, textiles, and debris waste collected from a heavily polluted stretch in Manenberg!
Manenberg, South Africa (24 June 2025) – In just six days, The Litterboom Project (TLP) achieved an incredible feat in Manenberg, Cape Town, orchestrating a focused and highly impactful Strike Clean-Up. Over a severely polluted 1.1-metre stretch, including a notorious illegal dumping hotspot, they painstakingly removed more than 18 tonnes of waste!
The area had been heavily contaminated with fast-moving packaging waste, including items such as chip packets, bread bags, single-use wrappers, and liquid cartons, as well as textile waste like clothing, nappies, and other household items.
Left uncollected, this waste would have easily entered Cape Town’s stormwater systems, rivers, and ultimately, the ocean.
“Plastic pollution doesn’t begin in the ocean; it starts with how waste is managed on land,” says Megan Swart, Cape Town Project Manager at The Litterboom Project.
Swart explained that when waste is illegally dumped and not removed in a timely manner, it becomes a direct pathway to marine pollution.
“These Strike Clean-Ups are how we disrupt that pipeline. They are rapid, targeted interventions led entirely by our team to address the worst-affected areas before the waste washes downstream.”
Cameron Service, CEO of The Litterboom Project, reiterated that the recent cleanup is proof that action leads to impact.
“Our team removed 18 tonnes of waste in just a few days, but imagine the difference we could make if everyone played a part. If each person took responsibility for their own litter, we could change the world. Small actions add up, and together, we can stop plastic from ever reaching our rivers and oceans.”
From the City’s waste management support to generous businesses and organisations, The Litterboom Project team extended its sincere thanks to all its partners who supported the effort by enabling post-clean-up logistics and for their continued commitment to TLP’s mission to prevent plastic waste from reaching the ocean.
This intervention forms part of The Litterboom Project’s broader mission to stop plastic pollution at its source through upstream interception, public education, and scalable waste solutions.
You can also get involved! TLP is actively seeking partners, corporates, funders, and institutions, ready to support direct, high-impact interventions like the Strike Clean-Up.
To get involved, pop an email to info@thelitterboomproject.com
Sources: Supplied
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