After months of consultations and planning with the City of Cape Town Coastal Management department, our litter nets were expertly crafted by the legendary Shark Spotters from upcycled fishing nets. The design of the nets and the size of the mesh used were all specifically chosen to maximize the efficiency to capture litter from the stormwater drains, after trials conducted by the Shark Spotters in Muizenberg.
On 16 August
the Shark Spotters installed the nets on 8 stormwater outlets, strategically chosen by ourselves and CoCT coastal management as accessible and the greatest sources of post-consumer waste to the ocean, along the Sea Point Coastline. The nets were installed just in time for a classic Cape Town storm and after 24 hours in place, our team collected 17 bags of waste from the nets and beaches.
Phakamisa and Alakhe are dedicated to their work and since it is the rain that brings waste into the litter nets, they are working during the storms, generally with a smile on their faces. Luckily their rain gear helps to protect them!
As part of Pristine Pathways’ reciprocal model, Phakamisa and Alakhe clean in Gugulethu 1 day a week. Their work is additive to that of the team from Pristine Pathways Constantia and our goal is to have a team cleaning in Gugulethu every day of the week. On 24 August, with the nationwide protest action affecting transport, both teams worked to clean in Gugulethu together and managed to clean a whopping 91 bags of waste from their community. We hope that this project, and as more Pristine PAthways projects roll out, we can have a significant impact on Gugulethu and the quality of life of its residents.
As of 26 August, after just 10 days in operation, Pristine Pathways Sea Point has cleaned 44 bags of waste from the nets and the beaches.