Plastic pollution is becoming increasingly serious every year and threatens the entire world, especially the coastal and marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean. The biggest cause of this problem is single-use plastics. More than 500 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide every year, and more than half of these plastics are single-use. These products, which have no chance of being recycled, are directed to waste collection sites and eventually end up in the seas and oceans.

 

In order to draw attention to this problem and develop solutions, the “Plastic-Free Shores, Plastic-Free Waters” project, launched in partnership with EKAD, TÜRÇEV (Foundation for Environmental Education in Turkey) and Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, was carried out for the first time in the summer of 2023 and was carried out with the valuable contributions of BETUYAB. The project continues to expand its scope every year. The second phase, which took place in the summer of 2024, was supported by the partnership with the Conservation Collective through the “Memento Mori World Tour” of the British music group Depeche Mode and the Swiss watch brand Hublot.

 

This year, in addition to BETUYAB, the Marine Life Protection Association and TOMRA, a pioneer of new generation recycling with its deposit return machines, also contributed to the project. In addition, Star Diving Academy, Precious Plastic Turkey, Pebble, Sürdür Store, Zeero and various brands offering alternative products to single-use plastics, as well as hotels with Blue Flag awards, also supported our events. The goals of our project are to increase awareness and consciousness about plastic waste, to emphasize the importance of individual preferences in solving this problem and to introduce ways to eliminate plastics, especially single-use plastics, from our daily lives. In addition, to initiate and support initiatives on this issue are among the important goals of our project.

 

The 2024 events started on June 26-30 at EKDAĞ Facilities Konyaaltı Public Beach; then continued on July 3-7 at the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism TURAŞ Belek Public Beach. The project, which continued with the “Plastic-Free July” workshops held with children at the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Environmental Education and Innovation Center on July 16-19, had its last event of the year at TURAŞ Lara Public Beach on September 4-8.

 

The “Plastic-Free Shores, Plastic-Free Waters” project will continue to be a beacon of hope for a cleaner future with these joint efforts to protect our seas and shores. We would like to thank all collaborators, volunteers, trainers and all environmental volunteer citizens who visited our project stand and obtained information.