How to organize a beach cleanup and become a volunteer to make the seas cleaner
3 minutes
Why not participate in an Italian beach cleanup and help protect these wonderful places?
The beach is an ecosystem rich in biodiversity with a delicate balance that is continually threatened by uncontrolled tourism and pollution from waste, sewage and plastic. Not all the damage caused by man is visible to the untrained eye, but beach pollution affects over 800 species of wildlife around the world. Italy, unfortunately, is no exception.
If you too are convinced that the time has come to lend a hand and do something to protect the grains of sand, shells, vegetation and the many creatures that live on the beach and in the waters near the shore, the solution is within reach. Marevivo has been fighting relentlessly since 1985 to protect the sea and its resources. It promotes many different activities in which you can take part, including beach cleanup projects throughout the country, from Veneto to Sardinia.
How to become a volunteer to help make the seas cleaner
To take part in a beach cleanup you can get in touch with Marevivo and have them indicate the events scheduled in the area where you are. Show up on the allocated day and get to work following the instructions of those who coordinate the cleaning activity of the beach.
Everyone can contribute to the cleanup, but if you have special skills you can become a Marevivo volunteer and help the non-profit organization also in other activities. These include the organization of events, the monitoring of the open sea, lakes and rivers, the cleaning of the seabed, the management of information stalls or providing social media support.
How to organise a beach cleanup
If you’d prefer to organize the event yourself, you can also do it with the support of Marevivo. The first step is to identify the beach that shows signs of pollution, making sure it is accessible to volunteers and that it is not a restricted area. We suggest you contact the Municipality to obtain the green light or the necessary permits for the cleanup, also asking for the possible supply of waste collection bags.
You can also create a Facebook event inviting the local community and your friends to take part in the beach cleanup. And don't forget to also contact Marevivo to help support spreading the word about the event and in its organization.
On the day of the event you must make sure that all participants are equipped with masks, gloves, bags for separate waste collection and, if necessary, pallets to facilitate the recovery of waste. It is very important that cleaning is done through exclusively manual interventions, without rakes or sieves, in full respect of the flora and fauna present and leaving in place all the elements of natural marine origin such as shells, pebbles, sand, algae residues and vegetation.
During your cleanup you must be careful not to disturb or damage any animal and plant species present in the area, especially if endemic, protected or rare. In the event that you encounter traces and /or signs of protected animal species such as the fratino plover bird or the Caretta Caretta loggerhead sea turtle, or places of laying eggs or hatching nests, the correct procedure to follow would be to indicate it to the appropriate authorities.
After the event you will need to make sure you dispose of the collected waste properly.
Don't have time? Adopt a beach!
Cleanup events are not limited exclusively to the summer period, but if during the rest of the year you cannot find the time to take part in the cleaning of the beaches you can still make a contribution without leaving home. How? By adopting a beach that is meaningful to you and always staying up to date on Marevivo's activities on it.
There are many beaches that can be adopted in every part of Italy. Need some suggestions? The Acqua Dolce beach in Porto Ercole, the Lingua beach in Procida or that of Eraclea Minoa between Sciacca and Agrigento.
The Marevivo site provides you with all the information on each beach that can be adopted, from the criticalities recorded by the experts to the work that is carried out thanks to user donations. All you have to do is choose which beach to adopt and wait for the Marevivo updates!
It takes very little to make a difference and we assure you that after a cleanup experience you will look at the Italian beaches and coasts with new eyes and you will be able to enjoy your beach holidays with greater awareness and satisfaction. Are you ready for action?
