In 2021, The Beach Co-op collaborated with poet, Toni Giselle Stuart, as part of the Hot Poets project, by Tongue Fu and Liv Torc to create the poem, Ocean Home, about our work. Hot Poets saw 12 poets from the UK & South Africa, partner with organisations working to find solutions for climate change, to write new poems that would inform and inspire the world around climate change. The films were released in line with COP 26 in Glasgow, and were screened at the event as well. Collaborations and friendships like these are golden. Thank you Toni.
Bridging poetry and science to imagine better futures
Women and Water
A primary goal of The Beach Co-op is to empower coastal communities as guardians of our ocean. We feel this can be achieved by building good relationships between coastal communities and the ocean, thereby ensuring individual and community investment in protecting and regenerating ocean health.
THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, THE WOMEN AND WATER PROGRAMME AIMS TO::
1) Raise awareness of plastic pollution and ocean health
2) Cultivate ocean literacy and a culture of citizen science
3) Nurture relationships through continued engagement.
Our Women and Water Programme aims to connect young urban citizens to the ocean via the pathways of our urban waterways. Caring for our ocean starts by caring for our neighbourhood.
“The biggest layer of our lives is in our community”
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
MARINE BIOLOGIST, POLICY EXPERT & WRITER
SAY NO TO
SINGLE-USE
PLASTICS
Banning single-use plastics is an achievable start in the much needed shift to reduce the production of plastic and its impact on our climate and oceans.
There is an immediate need for collective awareness and action between government, industry (big and small), civil society organisations and each of us.
Are beach front restaurants part of the solution?
#PlasticFreeMzansi
Since 2018, TBCO and Twyg have been collaborating to produce a South African version of the annual Australian Plastic Free July campaign.
#PlasticFreeMzansi is an annual media and events campaign focused on eliminating plastic waste. We encourage people to be more aware of their use of plastic, and to work on solutions with communities, retailers and manufacturers.
During July every year, we bring you beach clean-ups, share conscious lifestyle choices and promote circular design.
“One of the alarming conclusions of this project was realising the amount of plastic waste that my household is responsible for producing. Refashion Plastic has opened my eyes to the potential of using plastic waste as components for design.”
Hamzeh Alfarahneh
Collaborative Partnerships
We would not be able to do the work we do without key stakeholders and partnerships. In addition, and equally as important, to the monetary value that partnerships bring; we are very aware and grateful for partnerships that add value from a skills and knowledge exchange too.
