The Ocean Initiatives launch weekend is fast approaching from March 24 to 27! You want to be part of the biggest waste collection in Europe? It’s easy, organize or join an Ocean Initiative near you! Every second, 206 kg of waste are thrown into the Ocean… So, below is an explanation of how YOU can act.
WHAT IS AN OCEAN INITIATIVE?
The Ocean Initiatives are awareness-raising events that combine the collection and classification of waste to better understand the origin of marine pollution. The data collected at the end of the operation allows us to build a European database to enrich our scientific expertise and to make legislation evolve.
More than a regular cleaning, at the end of the operation, a quantification is made where it is possible to record the types of waste, allowing us to draw up environmental reports. Thanks to these figures Surfrider Europe and international NGO coalitions can pressure political decision makers to act.
These, often overlooked, actions have proven to have a great impact, since European directives have passed important bills, such as banning plastic bags in 2016 and the end of certain single-use plastics such as straws, cutlery or sticks in 2019.
But the fight must go on, data collecting with the Ocean Initiatives operations enable us to advocate for an even more ambitious legal framework.
2021 EN CHIFFRES
We continue to stress the importance to act now more than ever. The 2021 report shows us the extent of plastic pollution on marine environments.
With 1,555,568 cigarette butts collected and knowing that only one butt pollutes up to 500 liters of water, it is the equivalent of one year of water consumed by the Chinese population that ends up polluted.
Altogether, 1175 m3 of waste were collected, namely filling 35 containers.
The figures do not lie. Wastes are everywhere in Europe, from our cities to our coastlines and riverbeds. And this is only the tip of the iceberg as most of the aquatic litter ends up at the bottom of the ocean.
But where do these waves of pollution come from?
80% of the waste found in the ocean comes from land, through the combined effects of winds and runoffs. Ocean Initiatives are thus necessary at all levels of pollution, and it is therefore essential to act in both cities and coasts.
JOIN US !
This year, come and join us for the launch of the Ocean Initiatives on the weekend of March 26 & 27!
For the occasion, 60 OI are organized all around Europe with a great variety of entertaining activities.
Gathering during this significant period with family and friends is important to protect the Ocean, let’s join our forces.
