For his 23 e edition of Initiatives Océanes, the NGO Surfrider has chosen a strong slogan: let's pick up the rubbish before the sea does! In 1995, this programme was born to raise awareness and educate people about the problem of aquatic waste by organising clean-ups of beaches, lakes, rivers, seabeds and cities all over Europe. Above and beyond the simple collection of waste, the aim is above all to remind people that action must be taken to preserve the oceans.
Every year, more than 8 million pieces of waste invade the oceans, and this figure is constantly increasing due to our consumption habits.
Every year, European citizens gather on beaches, lakes, rivers and the seabed to collect rubbish. Anyone can take part or organise a collection, regardless of age or region. Just go to initiativesoceanes.org to find out which Oceanes Initiative is closest to your home or register your event and receive from Surfrider all the necessary material to organize it. See you from 16 to 19 March 2017 for one of the largest citizen gatherings in Europe!
"Since 1995, more than 9,000 waste collections have been organized by tens of thousands of citizens in cities, on the coast, but also on river banks and on the seabed. Through this citizen action, the aim is to raise awareness of the ever-increasing pollution of the oceans" recalls Cristina Barreau, an expert in aquatic waste.
Review of 2016 Ocean Initiatives
1398 m3 of waste collected, the equivalent of 9319 bathtubs filled with waste :
- 41,172 cotton buds,
- 195,946 cigarette butts
- 41,555 plastic bags or plastic bag fragments.
By grouping and displaying the most collected waste, Surfrider has made significant progress. The NGO was thus able to contribute to the ban on plastic bags in France.
