Clare founded Litter4tokens South Africa in 2015 after years of seeing increased plastic pollution under the water, on the surface of the water, in rivers strewn all over the land in communities and then on the beaches as well as severe poverty with young children, parents not able to feed their families on a daily basis. It forced her to reinvent and figure out how she could not only empower communities but prevent them from dumping the litter/trash and see a value in it to help themselves and their families but not giving hand outs.  Litter4tokens was born and grows daily due to the desperate need in 3rd world countries.

Clare realized that we can do as many beach clean ups as we want but if we didn’t’ change the trajectory with a preventative campaign we would be chasing our tails forever!  The campaign empowers people to pick up litter, they see a value in it and there are no handouts.

1 bag of litter = 1 token = R5 redeemed for dry goods – food, airtime, electricity.  No cash exchanges hands.

Her husband and 3 children moved to USA California in 2019 where Clare has taken on a full-time roll of managing the foundation in South Africa as well as setting up of Trash4tokens USA & Mexico. She has partnered with some incredible organizations who have believed in her mission and goals and care for the ocean and planet which she is truly grateful.     

Her latest invention the Mermaid Tear Catcher which she spent 1 month brainstorming with her father John Swithenbank and manufactured and launched in 2019 intime for the WSL Ballito Pro in South Africa which was an incredible success.   Litter4tokens is the Manufacturer of Nurdle SA which manufactures beach cleanup devices for Nurdles (Mermaid Tears).  Clare invented this device due to the large spills from USA chemical companies Exxonmobil & Vinmar that happened in our ocean off South African coast devasting our marine life and ocean we all share.  She wanted to educate beach goers and lovers to help clean up these tiny balls of plastic, all funds from the sales of the MTC go to supporting the L4T campaign, creating the perfect circulareocnomy, they are also made out of ocean bound plastic and manufactured in South Africa and people become scientists by using the unique code on each MTC to submit their geographic locations and number of nurdles they find. 

She uncovered that the Nurdles are being shipped as Non-Hazardous material and not like oil therefore an estimated 230,000 tons of nurdles are released and lost by ships per year into our ocean.   These nurdles are the same as crude oil but in a different format and Clare is working with the UN and IMO to get all countries on board to amend the urgent change of the IMDG code for nurdles so they are shipped below deck and as hazardous material preventing further devastation to our ocean and world.  She has recently launched the National Nurdle clean up campaign in South Africa and partnered with SA lifesaving to position Drums across South Africa as nurdles can’t be recycled and people can place the nurdles they collect in these drums to be changed into cement and bricks.

Seahugger.org USA  the founder Shell Cleave has sponsored a L4T kiosk in South Africa since 2020. NGO’s like this putting the funding into campaigns that are making the impact on the ground.   Seahugger also sell branded Mermaid Tear Catchers to educate people about the nurdles all over the beaches and rivers in the USA.   The recent partnership with Waterkeeper Her latest invention the Mermaid Tear Catcher which she spent 1 month brainstorming with her father John Swithenbank and launched in 2019 at the WSL Ballito Pro in South Africa was an incredible success.   Litter4tokens is the Manufacturer of Nurdle SA which manufactures beach cleanup devices for Nurdles (Mermaid Tears).  Clare invented this device due to the large spills from USA chemical companies Exxonmobil & Vinmar that happened in our ocean off South African coast devasting our marine life and ocean we all share.  She wanted to educate beach goers and lovers to help clean up these tiny balls of plastic, all funds from the sales of the MTC go to supporting the L4T campaign, creating the perfect circulareocnomy, they are also made out of ocean bound plastic and manufactured in South Africa.  She uncovered that the Nurdles are being shipped as Non-Hazardous material and not like oil therefore an estimated 230,000 tons of nurdles are released and lost by ships per year into our ocean.   

These nurdles are the same as crude oil but in a different format and Clare is working with the UN and IMO to get all countries on board to amend the urgent change of the IMDG code for nurdles so they are shipped below deck and as hazardous material preventing further devastation to our ocean and world.  She has recently launched the National Nurdle clean up campaign in South Africa and partnered with SA lifesaving to position Drums across South Africa as nurdles can’t be recycled and people can place the nurdles they collect in these drums to be changed into cement and bricks. understanding the pattern that we can try and protect the ocean all we want but if we don’t get to the route cause and help solve hunger, desperation, , the consumable nation, lack of recycling, value of litter with educational campaigns like ours in turn protecting our ocean and helping retailers and manufacturers support and fund foundations like ours to make the greatest impact.