What are they?
Our coastline is becoming ever more fragile, and increasingly exposed to environmental damage caused by human activity. It is essential that we raise awareness of this fragility; we must continue to work every day for the sustainable development of our planet. Taking action now means helping to secure our future. Together we can make it happen!
This major clean-up is an opportunity to highlight the problems surrounding waste management at both individual and community level. We must take action! We must get across the message that sorting waste is a matter of great importance, as it encourages us to protect our oceans, lakes and rivers: for example, a plastic bottle thrown onto the beach will take several centuries to disintegrate. With your support – local and schools groups, watersports groups, works councils and students – the event will gain momentum and most important of all, encourage us to become good eco-citizens.
The main goal is of course to clean up and restore our beaches, rivers and lakes to their original state, but also to show to everyone (general public and authorities alike) that it is time to take action: every year around 6,400,000 tonnes of waste are discharged every year into the oceans.
How are they arranged ?
Surfrider Foundation Europe coordinates the operation and provides logistical support from its Head Office in Biarritz, France.
The event takes place over 3 consecutive days in March. It is an unmissable occasion for all who love our oceans, lakes and rivers and wish to restore them to their natural state.
Volunteers, associations and local chapters of Surfrider Foundation Europe organize or take part in the clean-up operations.
The organizer receives a kit that provides a blueprint for other volunteers to organize a clean-up operation.
This kit includes: banners, association newsletters, educational tools, stickers, posters to publicise the clean-up and an organizer’s guide. It is also his or her role to arrange pilot projects (for more information on pilot projects, see below)
Participants can consult the list of beach clean-up operations on the Oceans Initiatives website and view their locations. All they need to do then is to register via the website and, on the day of the clean-up, turn up at the right place and time to join the group.
