Western Cape communities called to join the 2026 #DontBeTrashy Drive
CapeNature in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning is calling on communities, schools, businesses and visitors across the Western Cape to take part in the annual #DontBeTrashy Drive, running from 1—30 September 2026.
The month-long campaign aims to reduce waste, protect biodiversity and raise public awareness about the growing impact of pollution on the Province’s land, rivers, wetlands, estuaries and coastal environments. These ecosystems are essential for supporting a variety of species, tourism, recreation, livelihoods and community wellbeing, yet they continue to face increasing pressure from litter, illegal dumping, plastic pollution, wastewater contamination and discarded fishing gear.
Waste discarded in the environment does not stay where it is left. Carried by wind, stormwater and rivers – litter often ends up in wetlands, estuaries and the ocean, where it harms wildlife, damages habitats and contributes to the growing problem of microplastic pollution. Lost fishing gear and wastewater pollution also pose serious threats to both marine ecosystems and community health.
The #DontBeTrashy Drive is about inspiring lasting behavioural change. Every item of waste that is reduced, reused or recycled is one less item that can pollute our land and marine-based environment. Protecting the Western Cape’s unique biodiversity begins with the small choices we make every day.
Throughout September, the campaign will feature:
- School outreach for Grade 3 and 4 learners, with the potential to expand to Grades 6 and 7
- Captain Fanplastic activities and revised waste education programmes
- LoveNature waste series videos
- Public clean-up activities with partners
- Social media education and radio interviews
- Distribution of educational collateral
The public is encouraged to take simple but meaningful actions, including reducing single-use plastics, disposing of waste responsibly, preventing litter from entering stormwater systems, reporting illegal dumping, supporting community clean-up initiatives and sharing environmental awareness messages within their communities.
By engaging learners, and working together with educators and partners, we aim to develop shared responsibility for a sustainable and healthy environment from an early age. Long-term conservation success depends on not only removing waste already in the environment, but also on changing the behaviours that allow waste and pollution to reach natural areas in the first place.
Our land, rivers, wetlands and coastal environments connect people, biodiversity and livelihoods. Through campaigns like the #DontBeTrashy Drive, we want to empower communities with the knowledge and practical actions needed to prevent pollution and create cleaner, healthier natural spaces for future generations.
Clean-ups are vital, but we will never sweep our way out of the ocean plastic crisis. True conservation starts upstream by transforming how our youth value and interact with waste before it ever reaches our rivers and coasts. By distributing The Legend of Captain Fanplastic comic books and teacher guides into classrooms, we are equipping the next generation with early environmental literacy and embedding circular thinking into the curriculum—stopping plastic pollution directly at its source.
We invite schools, community organisations, local businesses, municipalities, conservation partners and members of the public to support the 2026 #DontBeTrashy Drive by participating in awareness activities and clean-ups during September, while embracing waste-wise practices throughout the year.
ABOUT CapeNature
CapeNature is a public institution mandated to promote and ensure biodiversity conservation within the Western Cape and is the custodian of the Cape Floristic Region. The Entity manages most of the mountain catchments and reserves that supply ecosystem services to the citizens of the Western Cape. This requires good scientific data, a sound understanding of fynbos ecology and commitment to the principles of integrated biodiversity management and planning. Most of this work is in remote areas out of the public eye but has a direct bearing on the quality of life of millions of people in the province.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
CapeNature
General Manager: Advocacy
Petro van Rhyn
pvrhyn@capenature.co.za
071 231 7576
Related News
Stewardship practitioners tackle mining, municipal and agricultural interfaces at annual CapeNature Stewardship Workshop
The 23rd Annual CapeNature Stewardship Peer Learning Workshop was held between 29 and 30 October 2026 under the theme "Stewardship Interface: Connecting with Key Stakeholders – Where, How and Why." The workshop brought together 75 delegates representing 26 organisations and provided a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and capacity building among stewardship practitioners. Designed to strengthen practitioners' understanding of
Relax and explore another day on us this Black Friday
Make the most of the season with our Black Friday 3-for-2 accommodation promotion at select nature reserves. It's the perfect excuse to slow down, unwind, and enjoy everything our unique accommodation and on-site amenities have to offer - ideal for families, couples, and groups of friends. Spend your evening beneath starry skies in the Cape Karoo, soak up the warm weather and mountain pools of the Overberg, or take a scenic drive along the West Coast, where blue skies, vibrant landscapes, nearby beaches, or a private pool awaits.
Green Noise named SA Podcast Awards finalist
Green Noise, CapeNature's podcast, has been named a finalist in the Best Education category at the 2026 South African Podcast Awards. The podcast is one of five finalists in the category, competing alongside Pippa Hudson's Curriculum Bootcamp and Dr Carra's The Paws & Effect Podcast, among others. Finalists are scored across six criteria: concept and originality, content quality, host performance, structure and pacing, audience connection and production quality. Each entry is scored blind by an independent panel of judges.
CapeNature to phase out trade in California kingsnakes
CapeNature is phasing out trade in California kingsnakes (Lampropeltis californiae) in the Western Cape over a two-year transition period that began on 1 April 2026, after a risk assessment classified the species as high risk for invasion. Animals already lawfully held may remain in captivity for the remainder of their natural lives. The assessment, which used the Bomford (2008) rapid risk assessment model, identified the potential for ecological disruption and competition with indigenous species should
HeliHack volunteers clear 5 334 invasive pines from Boosmansbos
Twenty-three volunteers were flown by helicopter into the remote upper slopes of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area from 23–25 October 2026, where they cut down 5 334 invasive alien pine trees across 904 hectares. The operation, led by the HeliHack Initiative in partnership with CapeNature, comes as the region is still recovering from the wildfires of 2025. With the South African Weather Service forecasting a strong El Niño and warmer, drier conditions through the 2026/27 summer, the fire risk in the months
CapeNature welcomes conviction of Cape Town woman in case involving 145 reptiles
CapeNature welcomes the successful conviction of Mrs Jacqueline Hewett of Woodstock, Cape Town, on all six charges relating to the unlawful acquisition, possession and keeping in captivity of 145 reptiles. The offences involved snakes, geckos and lizards, including protected, endangered, alien invasive and prohibited species, kept at a shop in Lower Main Road, Observatory and her residence in Woodstock in March 2023.