The first baseline estimation of marine litter in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Data on marine litter is crucial to guide waste management but is scarce in third-world countries such as South Africa. We established the first baseline measurement of litter accumulation on two beaches differing in public access in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, the poorest province in South Africa. Four 10-day surveys were conducted on each beach between June 2019 and June 2020. Results revealed that most of the litter (95.7%) was of South African origin and likely came from local land-based sources (e.g., beachgoers or a local river). Daily accumulation rates at the study sites ranged between 24.58 and 86.54 items.100 m(-1).day(-1), an order of magnitude lower than rates from other cities in Africa. However, like elsewhere, plastic (including foam) made up the bulk (74.2%) of litter with food packaging contributing a large portion of this. These findings indicate that local interventions are warranted to reduce litter in Port Elizabeth.

Automated summary

Data on marine litter, especially in third-world countries like South Africa, is limited. A study in Port Elizabeth found that most litter was of local origin, with plastic being the dominant type, particularly food packaging. Although accumulation rates were lower compared to other African cities, local interventions are still needed to reduce litter in Port Elizabeth.