Discarded coffee cups scattered along the Umhlanga beach have become a lifeline for communities as they have been repurposed into seedling containers.
Umhlanga, South Africa (22 July 2020) – Bellezar has taken up a cause that addresses two problems in one swoop. They are addressing the litter along the Umhlanga Promenade as well as boosting food security in the informal settlement.
The restaurant, like many in South Africa, is finding the lockdown restrictions to be near-crippling. Thankfully, they have been able to divert the stress into this productive project.
Since it was launched, Bellezar has reused 27,000 coffee cups and turned them into containers for seedlings. They have been growing tomatoes, peppers, peas and beetroot to name a few. The project has been a massive success.
Not only do the crops help small scale farmers, but the restaurant is also able to buy back the vegetables.
“Today you can say was a highlight for the Bellezar team in the middle of this COVID chaos when the team who have tirelessly been recycling the coffee cups and disposable containers from the Umhlanga promenade and were able to see the rewards of this lockdown initiative and the what difference just a simple idea and simple gesture can make in the lives of so many. We have to date collected 27 000 beverage cups, recycled them and planted them with a variety of seedlings from tomatoes to peppers, green peas to beetroot and have provided them to a rural farmer just outside Umhloti to repurchase all our fresh vegetable crops that are needed in the restaurant.
It is amazing how one small idea has flourished into a sustainable business. We encourage all our restaurants and hotels in Umhlanga to support this initiative as firstly it offers your business top-quality produce, it also is a much more cost-effective option for the supply of fresh vegetables, herbs and lettuce.
Today we took the head of the Umhlanga tourism to visit the gardens and see where the association could add additional value to this amazing initiative.”
This project will continue but only with the help of the public. Bellezar asks that people please continue to place their coffee cups in the designated recycle bins along the promenade.
“We look forward to donating thousands more and all we ask you to do is to dispose of your containers at the designated recycling bins along the promenade.”
Take a look at some of their success below.
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