It's Time to Talk Trash in Palma de Mallorca
Beach Clean Up at Playa de Palma
On Saturday 12th September there will be a beach clean up in Playa de Palma. It is organised by Asociación Ondine, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to marine conservation in the Baleares.
The NGO was founded in December 2012 by a small group of enthusiasts with a profound knowledge of the marine environment, and led by Australian Brad Robertson, who has been running a dive company on Mallorca for several years.
I first heard about them through their 'Dos Manos' project, literally, 'Two Hands'. The concept is simple. Take two hands and thirty minutes to clean up 'yOUR' world anytime, anywhere.
Unfortunately it's not hard to find rubbish washed up or left behind on even some of the most beautiful coves on the island. There has been a reported 40% increase of residues coming over to the Mallorcan coast this year, much of it from Algeria. However North Africa can't take all the blame. I picked up over 100 cigarette butts at the pretty Ses Lleonardes cove only last week and they definitely originated from smokers in Mallorca!
The idea behind Dos Manos is to motivate people to do their own clean ups. That said, cleaning up alongside other people offers a great sense of community, and involving the community is certainly an important part of A.O's philosophy.
"The main goal of the clean ups is to create awareness," says Jens Oomes, of Asociación Ondine. "The awareness is not only created in those who volunteer and experience the gravity of the situation first hand, but also in the people passing by, as it's quite a sight to see people of all ages literally cleaning up other people's mess." He says that often beachgoers will spontaneously start pitching it.
The organisation documents the items collected so it can understand where the pollution comes from and inform and educate consumers and producers.
The meeting point for the clean up on Saturday 12th September will be on the corner of Avenida Bartomeu and Carrer Palangres, which at the end of Arenal beach, closest to the Can Pastilla Marina. It will take place between 14.00 - 16.00.
There will be more cleans up over the winter, potentially as regularly as every weekend. To find out more you can follow the Asociacion Ondine's Facebook Page.
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