#MakeEUBlue From Source to Shores
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#MakeEUBlue From Source to Shores
EU4Ocean Campaign Unites Volunteers for Successful Clean-Up Events in Brussels and Athens on World Cleanup Day
As part of the #MakeEUBlue: From Source to Shores campaign, volunteers in Brussels and Athens joined forces on World Cleanup Day, 21 September, to tackle plastic pollution and raise awareness about the health of our waterways and ocean. These two impactful clean-up events were organised by the EU4Ocean Coalition, with the aim of highlighting the direct link between our actions on land and the well-being of our seas.
In Brussels, volunteers took to the water, cleaning the Brussels Canal on kayaks, in collaboration with the City to Ocean project. This hands-on effort resulted in the removal of 47.5 kg of litter from the canal. The most commonly collected items were plastic bottles, cans, and cigarette butts. Participants demonstrated the power of community action in safeguarding the waterways that eventually connect to the ocean. The even was part of the Brussels Clean Festival and the participants got the chance to be interviewed by local media.
Meanwhile, in Athens, volunteers gathered to clean Edem and Batis beaches in a joint effort with HELMEPA and MEdIES MIO-ECSDE. Approximately 36 kg of waste was collected from the beaches, with top items including cigarette butts, non-foamed plastic fragments, paper, plastic straws, and plastic bottle caps. The participants were tracking the litter with the Marine Debris Tracker to further analyse the findings after the clean-up. The event underscored the importance of keeping beaches litter-free to protect marine life and ecosystems.
Both clean-up events are part of the broader #MakeEUBlue: From Source to Shores campaign, which was launched to address pollution at its roots and promote the protection of waterways. The campaign emphasises that all bodies of water—from rivers and lakes to canals and ocean—are interconnected, and pollution in one area inevitably impacts the ocean.
From Source to Shores reminds us that every piece of litter in our rivers or canals will eventually find its way to the ocean. We are the source of this pollution, but through collective action, we can also be the solution.
The EU4Ocean Coalition invites everyone to take part in ongoing efforts to reduce pollution and raise awareness about the critical importance of water preservation for the future of our planet. These clean-up events are just the beginning of a larger movement to protect our planet’s most precious resources.
FIND THE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENTS HERE
Learn more about the EU4Ocean Coalition
EU4Ocean Platform: Become a Member of the EU4Ocean Platform
Youth4Ocean: Become a Member of the Youth4Ocean Forum
Network of European Blue Schools: The Network of European Blue Schools
Note to Editors
The EU4Ocean Coalition connects diverse organisations, projects and people that contribute to ocean literacy and the sustainable management of the ocean. The bottom-up inclusive initiative aims at uniting the voices of Europeans to make the ocean a concern for everyone. The coalition also contributes to the efforts to put ocean literacy high on the policy agenda and helps its members to become ocean advocates and agents of transition towards more sustainable ocean practices in their field.
Press contacts and social media
Email: mikaela@revolve.eu
Facebook: EU Maritime & Fish
Instagram: ourocean_eu
LinkedIn: CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
#MakeEUBlue #EU4Ocean #Youth4Ocean #EUBlueSchools #EMFAF
