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Operation Clean Spot

To clean up the world, let’s start in one spot.

Adopt a clean-up spot

To prevent litter from reaching our seas, we need to start on
land. You can make a difference by adopting a spot close to
vour home, work or school and driving regular clean-ups to
keep our seas clean for all.

Adopt A Spot

Separate recyclables to save our seas

Recycling at home is easy, all you need to do is separate
valuable recyclables from waste. We bring you the latest
sustainability news and recycling tips for home and office.

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One spot leads to another

Operation Clean Spot began in 2021. Since then, numerous clean-up spots have been adopted by individuals, businesses, schools, religious groups, community groups and organisations. By working together, we’re creating flourishing seas for all.

214

Spots adopted

1265

Spots cleared

13

kgs of trash removed

214

lorems

icon litter removal

Start a clean-up

Join us and clean up the area near your home, work or school.

Adopt a Spot

Valuable recyclables add value to the blue economy

To clean up your spot at home or work, start with your waste bin and separate valuable recyclables and composting materials from waste. Then follow these easy steps:

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Drop off

Once separated, drop recyclables at your nearest recycling collection point or buy-back centre.

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Collection

Keep your valuable recyclables for an informal collector to collect on municipal waste day. By doing so, you help provide income opportunities and keep the collection and recycling industry moving.

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Compost

Food waste is a valuable resource as compost. You can use it to nourish your garden and grow your own food.

Be a part of
Operation Clean Spot

Litter doesn’t stay in one place. The wind can carry it thousands of kilometers and it can make its way down waterways. That’s why cleaning the area around you creates a cleaner world for all. All you need to do, is start in one spot. Simply, adopt a spot in your community, name it and initiate regular clean-ups.

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Download Data Sheets

Data collection during your clean-up is an optional step. If you would like to record what you have collected, feel free to select any of the four datasheet levels (increasing level of detail), fill it in and add it when you submit your clean-up to us.

OCS Datasheet Level 1
OCS Datasheet Level 2
OCS Datasheet Level 3
OCS Datasheet Level 4 Guide
OCS Datasheet Level 4

Stay on top of recycling

Did you know that a lot of the waste you produce can be recycled? You can play a critical role in enabling the recycling industry and promoting a circular economy by doing one simple thing: separating your recyclable waste! Separating your waste can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.

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Waste streams

There are various waste streams that your waste can be separated into. Once separated simply drop off at your nearest recycling collection point, or sell the waste onto your nearest buy back centre

Waste & recycling map
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Did you know?

The informal waste collection sector in South Africa provides a valuable service with up to 80% of recyclable waste being collected by informal collectors. You will see these people hard at work on municipal waste collection day. You can help by separating out the valuable recyclables for your local informal collector to collect.

News

SST presenting at South African Marine Science Symposium (SAMSS)

Sharing Knowledge, Inspiring Action: SST at SAMSS and ICC 2025

September was a busy and exciting month for SST. Our team had the privilege of engaging with both the scientific community and the public through two key events: presenting at the South African Marine Science Symposium (SAMSS) and hosting our...

Read More
SST presenting at South African Marine Science Symposium (SAMSS)

News

Sharing Knowledge, Inspiring Action: SST at SAMSS and ICC 2025

September was a busy and exciting month for SST. Our team had the privilege of engaging with both the scientific community and the public through two key events...

Read More
SST at WIOMSA Symposium 2025

News

SST Showcases Leadership at WIOMSA Symposium 2025

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Symposium is the largest gathering of marine and coastal experts in the region, and this year’s eve...

Read More
SST and west african trainers pollution workshop

News

SST Brings Together West African Trainers in Abidjan

In September, SST, in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), hosted an inspiring three-day Training-of-Trainers wor...

Read More

Get involved

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Volunteer
Adopt a Spot
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This category includes various tiers of governance responsible for policymaking, implementation, and oversight. It comprises:

  • National government, which governs at the highest level of a state,
  • Provincial/Regional authorities that manage sub-national jurisdictions,
  • Local municipalities with elected community representatives for a specific country or district, and
  • Government agencies or institutions, such as environmental departments or authorities, that implement mandates in specific sectors or fields of study.

These are entities formed through collaboration between multiple countries or states to address regional or international concerns. These include:

  • International multilateral organisations created by treaties between two or more nations working towards issues of common interest
  • Regional Economic Bodies that facilitate economic integration in specific African regions,
  • River Basin Commissions managing shared water resources, and
  • Regional Conventions, which are legally binding agreements among states in a region to promote and help localised international standards.

This category includes institutions and academic bodies that generate scientific knowledge and conduct studies related to marine, environmental, or plastic pollution issues. It includes:

  • Research institutes, which are to establish to conduct research
  • Universities, which combine education and academic research at an advanced level.

This category encompasses learning institutions and youth-focused networks that promote environmental awareness and leadership. It includes:

  • Schools for formal education of children
  • Youth networks that represent young people between the ages of 7 and 35, and
  • Youth groups, communities and associations which are informal or formal and focused on empowering youth.

Civil society includes non-state, nonprofit groups active in advocacy, service delivery, or community development. Subcategories include:

  • Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating independently from government,
  • Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) committed to specific social or environmental causes,
  • Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) embedded in and serving local communities or significant segments,
  • Charity Groups focusing on philanthropy and social well-being, and
  • Facilitation Agencies that coordinate or distribute services among approved charitable, non-profit making preferred sources.

This sector represents the structured business actors in the plastic value chain, from production to retail. It includes:

  • Importers (such as a country, business or person) buy raw materials or products from another country for use in their own country.
  • Raw material producers provide materials for converters and manufacturers and can include virgin or recycled materials.
  • Converters blending materials (virgin or recyclate) and additives into formulated feedstock.
  • Brand owners who are the owners of a product or service, and retailers, such as FMCG companies that distribute goods.

These are organised and legally recognised entities involved in the collection, processing, and sorting of waste. Types include:

  • Waste logistics companies responsible for transporting and collecting waste and material recovery facilities,
  • Waste processors/recyclers are large scale entities that process waste into secondary raw materials or products,
  • Buy-back centres where recyclables are exchanged for money, and
  • Drop-off sites where recyclables are deposited for disposal or further processing.

This category consists of non-formalised individuals or groups engaged in waste collection and recycling, often for income. It includes:

  • Waste pickers, who collect reusable and recyclable materials independently to either sell on or use for personal consumption,
  • Cooperatives, collectively run collection operation,
  • Informal sector associations that support and represent the informal sector.

This category includes collaborative platforms and representative bodies that promote sector-wide coordination. It consists of:

  • FMCG associations working with brand owners and retailers in circularity,
  • Plastic industry associations represent the entire value chain of plastics, regionally or nationally to drive innovation, technology, and policy,
  • Pacts and networks foster joint commitments and agreements through group or connected systems,
  • Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) are collecting entities set up by the obliged companies or legislation, responsible for waste-related obligations of the obliged companies and assisting with managing collective waste obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws.

This category includes organisations and groups that actively work to protect natural ecosystems and biodiversity, both on land and at sea. It encompasses:

  • Environmental organizations/groups that seek to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces,
  • Nature reserves are tract of land managed for the preservation of its flora, fauna and physical features,
  • Marine conservation organizations focusing on ocean ecosystems, and
  • Clean-up groups engaging in direct action to clean up the environment.

This category refers to entities specializing in the manufacturing, filling and selling bottles containing products such as water, beverages, and cleaning agents for commercial distribution. Bottlers are typically part of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry and play a significant role in the packaging value chain. They may:

  • Work independently or be linked to brand owners,
  • Rely on imported or locally produced containers,
  • Have obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to manage their post-consumer waste.

This category includes designated locations where waste is deposited, buried, or left in open land. These sights are typically government owned and operated. It consists of:

  • Formal landfill sites, which are engineered and monitored for environmental compliance,
  • These sites are critical points in the waste management system, affecting land use, pollution levels, and the recovery potential of materials,
  • They are often connected to both the formal waste sector (e.g., municipal services) and informal waste collectors who retrieve recyclables from them.