A local group of hard-working nature-lovers, Help Up, continued their war against plastic in our rivers this past week as the team removed another huge load of rubbish from Black River.

This dedicated bunch of eco warriors have worked tirelessly every week to remove river rubbish, attracting new friends and helping locals join together in the fight against plastic and littering.

The team came together this past weekend and in three hours managed to remove rubbish and plastic from the river that filled 53 big bags, as well as some peculiar items like a red futon and unused blue city council bags.

Some of the common items that the team find in the river during cleanups include PnP shopping bags, computer casings and the especially small, flimsy plastic bags used for packing loose veggies.

The team says they are not happy to find these kinds of things in the otherwise beautiful river but other members in the team make the experience bearable.

“We are not amused but we had a good time anyway because we are cool people who get along with each other and we like cleaning Cape Town’s muck out of rivers!” Help Up said in a Facebook post.

Since the group’s intervention, the river is showing steady recovery and slowly but surely becoming a litter-free zone.

Residents who care for the Cape’s rivers and are looking to meet like-minded people are encouraged to join the project, even just for one weekend.

Check out their Facebook Page here and join in if you’re interested in helping out with their Black River cleanups or even in joining one of their many beach cleanups.

Pictures: Help Up

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