ENVIRONMENT: Battling plastic in Panama mangroves

 OVER 300 volunteers participated in a garbage clean up in the  Juan Díaz mangroves, on  Sunday, May 19, in the jetty sector.

The event was organized by the  Movimiento Mi Mar, which reported that most of the garbage collected in the sector was plastic bags and bottles.

Movimiento Mi Mar is not an NGO   but a group of volunteers who have been working for a year to create social awareness about the dangers of ocean pollution.

According to the United Nations Program for the Environment, 80% of the waste that reaches the oceans is made up of plastic bags and bottles.

Theis mangrove cleaning is done in the middle of the countdown to July when Panama will stop using plastic bags in stores and supermarkets.

Retail stores have until July 19 to provide plastic bags for shoppers. After that there are several alternatives for businesses, among them, to deliver paper or reusable bags or.  the customer can bring bags from home.