#EUBeachCleanup went to the seashore of the White Sea!

02.08.2021

 

Every year, the EU organises an ocean-activism and awareness-raising campaign - #EUBeachCleanup - featuring events across the world. Teaming up with the United Nations and the bluest of friends, the Smurfs, the EU strongly believes that we can all make a real difference for our blue planet, taking responsible action as individuals and collectively.

Whilst the key to fighting marine litter is to stop it at the source - using less, recycling more - cleaning matters as well. This summer the EU Delegation to Russia together with a team of the EU-funded project “Climate, education, youth” has joined the global #EUBeachCleanup campaign.

On 29 July the representatives of the EU Delegation to Russia together with a project team and local activists and kids went to pick up plastic and other waste in the coastal area of Lopshenga village located in the Arkhangelsk region. The participants collected 10 bags of non-natural garbage. The #EUBeachCleanup action ended up with artistic installations made of collected waste. There were also a small theatre performance about consumption and waste. Earlier the project team already used the Swedish methodology “ospar” to determine the level of anthropogenic plastic waste in the coastal area. A coastal virgin area of 1 km located 2 km away from Lopshenga was chosen. They also collected 63 kg of waste, including more than 800 plastic and glass items. It is too much for the White Sea which is a closed sea mostly surrounded by the land.

Marine litter and ocean pollution have an extreme impact on marine life. By 2050, the ocean could contain more plastic by weight than fish. Around 84% of beach litter is consisting of plastic material and around 50% are single-use plastic items. Plastic waste is destroying marine biodiversity and threatens the livelihood of half a billion people.

The EU is committed to have seas and oceans that are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, both in the EU and worldwide. The #EUBeachCleanup is a global movement that brings people from around the world together around one common purpose of protecting the oceans and marine life within. Our ocean starts with you, even from home! Thank you for:

  • using less plastic;

  • reducing water consumption;

  • cleaning your neighbourhood and much more.

Each one of us can make a difference!

#EUBeachCleanup is part of the #EUGreenDeal.

 


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