102 Young Ocean Guardians Clean 138kg of Waste from Lambert’s Bay Coastline 🌊♻️

On 20 September 2025, Project Sunwave joined forces with over a hundred young people from Lambert’s Bay for an unforgettable beach clean-up adventure. This wasn’t just about “picking up rubbish”, we transformed it into an ocean treasure hunt where protecting the coast became a fun, competitive, and empowering activity.

Over the course of the morning, 102 youth (ages 5–17) scoured 750 meters of our local beach, filling 23 large bags of litter, about 138 kg in total. Every cigarette butt, plastic bottle, and food wrapper collected was logged in the Clean Swell app, contributing Lambert’s Bay’s impact to global data on marine pollution. By the end, our team had recorded 3,072 individual items, contributing to both South Africa’s Clean-Up & Recycle Week 2025 and the worldwide International Coastal Clean-Up Day.

A Treasure Hunt for the Ocean

Instead of approaching the day as “kids cleaning the beach,” we designed the activity as an ocean treasure hunt. Teams of 13-15 kids were led by older captains (15-17 years old) and worked together to solve clues while collecting litter as “treasures.” Adding a spirit of friendly competition kept energy high, with the top three teams celebrated at the end.

This approach was intentional:

• To empower young people as protectors of the ocean, not just volunteers doing chores.

• To show that environmental action can be joyful, community-driven, and inspiring.

• To connect our youth directly to the global fight against ocean pollution.

What We Found

The most common items collected will sound all too familiar:

• Cigarette butts: 177 (11.5%)

• Plastic bottles: 140 (9.1%)

• Food bags and wrappers: 135 (8.8%)

• Plastic bottle tops: 119 (7.7%)

Every piece removed was one less item that could harm sea life or wash back into our waters.

Why It Matters

The impact went beyond the numbers. For many of the children, this was their first time taking part in an environmental mindful activity. We saw more girls joining in than usual, which is a step toward breaking down barriers in local youth participation. And thanks to support from the Cederberg Municipality and PlasticSA (who donated clean-up bags), Lambert’s Bay could be part of international monitoring efforts, typically an isolated rural community.

What’s Next

This is only the beginning. With the resources we received for Clean-Up & Recycle Week, Project Sunwave will host monthly beach clean-ups to keep building environmental pride and stewardship among our youth. Each activity will help make the Lambert’s Bay coastline cleaner, healthier, and a place our community can be proud of.

Together, we’re sharing the stoke. Our aim will always be to keep on protecting our ocean, inspiring young leaders, and proving that small coastal towns can make a big difference in the global fight against pollution with education and community engagement. 💪🌍

👉 Want to get involved? Follow us on Instagram [@ProjectSunwave], join our next clean-up event, our support the education and support needed for a generation of mindful, engaged youth.

Let’s keep the West Coast’s beaches beautiful. For us, for the ocean, and for future generations.