With 90% of all ocean plastic pollution coming from rivers, the new digital film from Corona Studios shows how the innovative Litterboom Project is helping stem the tide of plastic from reaching the oceans around South Africa by addressing the problem upstream.
Directed by Antoine Janssens and Logan Lambert, in association with Corona Studios, The Litterboom Project and Oceanic Global, the film follows Josh Redman, an environmentalist, surfer and operations manager for The Litterboom Project.
The film also follows Fabian LeBron, a member of the river team, as they apply creative technological solutions and practical community efforts to protect the ocean's fragile ecosystem around Cape Town, says the studio.
Through their compelling insights, the short film delves into the commitment of the Litterboom Project team and the impactful work done combating ocean pollution by intercepting plastic waste in Cape Town's Black River and Lotus River before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean, Corona Studios say.
"You'd be amazed how much plastic we stop from getting into the ocean. It's a real fight to keep the river clean, but the community will eventually realise that their lives are simply better if we have a clean environment. We have to fight for our planet — we have nowhere else to go," says Fabian LeBron who heads up the community river team.
Collection for the Corona and Oceanic Global sponsored grant for The Litterboom Project started in October 2023 and as of April 2024, 40 948kg of trash has been collected from the Black and Lotus Rivers in Cape Town with 95% of that being plastic. It is anticipated that the three-year project will intercept 288 000kg of plastic, according to the studio.
Josh Redman, operations manager of The Litterboom Project, says, "As a surfer, it's always tragic to come across plastic whenever I’m in the water, so this project, for me, is both personal and a critical way to stop plastic from getting there in the first place. We have a long way to go but we’re seeing the impact."
According to Corona Studios, the Litterboom is designed to catch waste and guide it to the riverbank, which the river team then collects for recycling. Since its inception, the Litterboom has prevented over one million kilograms of plastic waste from reaching the ocean across 10 rivers in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
In the next phase of this partnership, The Litterboom Project will further establish an Innovation Hub within the Cape Town CBD that will look to train Wastepreneurs, who will be given an opportunity to create a business within the plastic beneficiation space, as well as commercial production with a very specific focus on environmental plastic waste that dirties our beaches, rivers and communities, says the studio.
"As a brand born at the beach and deeply connected with nature, Corona has a responsibility to do all it can to be an ally to our environment and our oceans. Along with our partners, Oceanic Global, we are proud to be associated with the Litterboom project and, with Corona Studios, helping to spread the word about ocean plastic pollution with this film," says Melanie Nicholson, head of brand at Corona South Africa.
Corona concludes that in 2021 it became the first global beverage brand to achieve a Net Zero Plastic footprint, recovering more plastic from the environment than it releases into the world.
Individuals are encouraged to view the
Litterboom: A Vision of a Clean Future film on YouTube,
here.