beaches, lakes, rivers and submarines clean-ups
Surfrider Foundation Europe’s most emblematic event, Ocean Initiatives are both an awareness campaign to highlight the problem of marine litter and a (beaches / coastlines/ seabed) clean-up operation. They have taken place, worldwide, each year for 18 years. In 2012, they gathered 50,000 participants in over 1230 operations.
The ocean is a very clear indicator of the impact our lifestyle has on the environment: every second, 206 kg of waste is dumped into our oceans. The majority of this litter will never completely degrade and only a small proportion will be removed (from the environment). To fight against marine litter, we must reduce our waste production and prevent it from ending its life cycle in our oceans.
Ocean Initiatives pursue this goal by raising individual and collective awareness on the necessity to fight against this pollution.
Organizing a clean-up operation can help show your friends and family the impact human activity has on the environment.
Educational tools provided by Surfrider will inform participants about the problems of macro waste and will encourage participants to adopt more ecologically responsible behavior.
By participating in the event, you vindicate our message.
It is a daily fight that Surfrider Foundation Europe undertakes to make sure that marine litter is recognized for what it is : a source of pollution per se and an environmental priority.
Our volunteers organize local Clean-Up operations, with the help of Surfrider Foundation Europe who manage the co-ordination of operations, offer logistical support, and broadcast news of the events on a European, national and local scale. The events are listed on Ocean Initiatives website, you can simply consult the list of Clean-Ups to find operations. All you need to do is register and turn up at the indicated time and place.
Ocean Initiatives are traditionally held on the first Spring weekend. During four days from Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th March 2013, hundreds of Surfrider cleanups will be conducted at the same time involving sports clubs, schools, and the general public…
In order to benefit from a strong media coverage, we ask organizers to follow these dates. However, it is also possible to organize Surfrider cleanups throughout the year.
