Since last September 21 – coinciding with International Beach Cleanup Day (World Clean Up Day) – until October 6, more than 5,000 people have participated in the eighth edition of the citizen science campaign ‘1m2 for the beaches and the seas’, organized by the LIBERA Project, of SEO/BirdLife in alliance with Ecoembes. With the aim of collecting data on the garbage found on beaches and seabeds and knowing its origin, 108,887 waste abandoned in these natural environments have been characterized.
The collections have taken place at a total of 360 points throughout the country with the aim of knowing the type of waste that makes up the garbage, analyzing the effects and consequences in natural spaces and raising awareness about this problem. In this way, the participants in this initiative have removed 2.8 tons of waste, demonstrating the commitment and awareness of citizens with nature conservation.
The campaign has had the participation of organizations such as the Spanish Red Cross, the Man and Territory Association, ADESP, Alnitak, Mater, the Murcia Clean Region Association or ANSE.
Butts, plastic parts and plugs
After the collection and analysis of garbage, the items most found on the Spanish coasts have been, in order, cigarette butts, pieces of plastic, caps and drink cans.
The participants have used the MARNOBA mobile application, developed by the Zero Discharge and Garbage Association to characterize the waste found. At the end of the campaign, this data will be added to the more than 1,000,000 objects already characterized and that LIBERA has been collecting since 2017 in its ‘Garbage Barometer’, to be integrated into the database of the Ministry for the Transition Ecology and the Demographic Challenge of Spain (MITECO).
«In yet another edition we have found thousands of waste in nature, this time in marine environments. It is urgent to tackle this environmental problem and to do so it is vital that consumers change their purchasing habits. We need a society with less waste, more responsible. If we generate less waste, in addition to addressing other environmental and social problems, it is certain that there will be less garbage. That is our challenge at LIBERA, to generate environmental awareness so that the production and consumption model changes,” says Alberto Remacha, coordinator of the LIBERA Project at SEO/BirdLife.
«The eighth edition of ‘1m2 for the beaches and the seas’ continues to highlight the problem of garbage in our natural environments and the environmental impact it represents. This year, once again, we have witnessed the strong commitment and environmental awareness of the Spanish population. We want to express our deep gratitude to all the volunteers, organizations and associations that have joined us to preserve and protect the coasts of Spain,” says Sara Güemes, coordinator of the LIBERA Project at Ecoembes.
#70YearsForBirds
SEO/BirdLife celebrates its 70 years in 2024 thanks to the more than 24,000 associated people. Its scientific origin as a reference entity in the study of birdlife is still valid to understand and improve the conservation status of birds and their habitats. Addressing the climate emergency and stopping the loss of biodiversity drive lines of work in energy, water, agriculture or urban biodiversity. Furthermore, environmental education and communication are key tools to convey to society a vision in harmony with nature as a guarantee of health and well-being.
#LIBERA #Project #characterizes #wastes #Spanish #coast
