In celebration of Mandela Day, the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Trash Bash team is heading to Sunset Beach for a winter beach cleanup on 19 July 2025 .
The recent storm activity thrashing the Western Cape coast has left beaches inundated with pollution from fast-flowing river run-off and ocean swells. The Trash Bash team encourages Capetonians to join in on the Mandela Day charge to clean up Sunset Beach this July.
“Beach cleanups such as Trash Bash are the perfect Mandela Day activity, bringing the community together to make a difference to the health of the ocean, interrupting the cycle of plastic pollution. As a collective community effort, Trash Bash has enormous potential to impact on environmental education and behaviour change. The ocean needs us, and we want to make a difference,” said Heather Wares, Two Oceans Aquarium Communications Manager.
Join the team on Saturday 19 July to build on the momentum of Mandela Day, with a focus on community building, and awareness through the Trash Bash Movement! Bring your family and friends to join the Cape Town Trash Bash community to make a difference in the health of our planet.
What to bring: Weather-appropriate clothing, a bucket for collecting trash, water (in a reusable bottle), reusable gloves (like the ones you’d use for gardening or doing dishes), and a smile!
Look out for items such as plastic bags, bottles, straws, sweet wrappers, chip packets and even microplastics. These all contribute to the pollution problem in Cape Town.
Win – Make sure you stay until the end and stand a chance to win incredible prizes at our on-site lucky draw!
In support of Mandela Day
Mandela Day is an internationally recognized annual initiative, in recognition of the invaluable work Nelson Mandela did for South Africa and the world, celebrated on his birthday, 18 July. Since 2009, it has been a global call to action, dedicated to the power of the individual to make an impact.
- The Two Oceans Aquarium is proud to dedicate the July Trash Bash to the ethos of Mandela Day, harnessing that individual power to the mission of fighting plastic pollution for a healthy and diverse ocean.
“Once a piece of plastic is produced, it becomes part of our environment forever – it cannot break down, biodegrade, or become part of the natural system again without human intervention. This is bad news for the marine life along our coastline. We all want to enjoy the ocean and its abundance for years to come, so let’s protect the ocean’s future (and ours) while we have the chance,” said Helen Lockhart, Conservation and Sustainability Manager at the Two Oceans Aquarium.
As always, there will be plenty of fun and spot prizes to be had while cleaning up this stretch of our coast, and it’s always a pleasure meeting up with our growing ocean community at Sunset Beach.
WHAT: Mandela Day – Two Oceans Aquarium Trash Bash
WHERE: Sunset Beach, (parking on Forata Drive) Milnerton, Cape Town
WHEN: 19 July 2025 09h00 to 11h00
INFO: Two Oceans Aquarium T +27 21 814 4539 | E HWares@aquarium.co.za | VISIT | See also Cape Town Green Map
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