International Beach Clean-Up Day

Sunday, September 17, is International Beach Clean-Up Day to eliminate coastal pollution. Thousands of people around the world will participate including Panama where some 3,500 volunteers are expected.

Since 2015, more than 17 million volunteers have participated in the initiative and have collected more than 350 million pounds of trash. “Plastic pollution is a huge problem for our ocean, but even small actions can make a big difference. Every bottle, every straw, and every piece of trash you clean can lead to a cleaner, healthier ocean. Join us this season to clean up your local beach, stream, park, or neighborhood,” the NGO urges on its website.

Beyond the garbage that is collected, the date is important because it raises awareness in the people who go to the sites, says Guido Berguido, executive director and founder of Adopta Bosque, one of the organizations that participate in beach cleanups.

 The volunteers become multiplying agents with their friends and co-workers because the activity is an educational exercise, adds the biologist.

“Pollution on beaches is an old problem and it is a difficult problem to solve. Even though we collect a large amount of waste, after two or three days there is a large, significant amount again,” he laments.