Over 1 ton of rubbish ΄fished΄ out of the sea in Corfu!
environment
08 Jul 2021
/ 09:25
CORFU. Divers removed 1,150kg of plastic and other rubbish from the Corfu marine ecosystem.
The 4th day of clean-ups at 8 Greek ports saw over 14 tons of rubbish being collected - bicycles, tyres, sunk boats, signs, cables, nets, chairs, bottles (one with a 1992 sell-by date), crates, a child's car seat, a baby buggy and a church incense burner were just some of the items to be fished out of the sea by the volunteer divers.
Some of the items will be added to the circular economy in collaboration with certified recycling bodies, some to be converted into new products such as benches and waste bins which will then be given back to the ports from which they were collected. Volunteer artists will also use some of the items to create works of art.
The Marine Ministry said that the project was co-organised by the Ministry's Port Secretariat led by Secretary Evaggelos Kyriazopoulos and the non-profit company 'Enaleia' under Eleftherios Arapakis as part of the Mediterranean Clean-up project.
The project is part of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Clean Seas Campaign for World Environment Day (5/6) and World Oceans Day (8/6). It was co-organised Laura Gilzen, adviser to the Ministry Port Secretariat and involves the innovative concept of 'double recycling' and was carried out at 8 ports.
8 ports
8 Greek ports were involved in the project - Rafina, Lavrio, Agios Nikolaos, Chania, Cephalonia, Corfu, Samos and Kimi - with the assistance of the local port authorities, the local authorities and members of the public. All the necessary Covid safety measures were adhered to at all times.
The amount of rubbish collected at each port was as follows:
Rafina - 2,050kg
Corfu - 1,150kg
Lavrio - 5,270kg
Chania - 1,770kg
Samos - 1,670kg
Kimi - 975kg
Agios Nikolaos - 370kg
Cephalonia (2 zones) - 900kg
Total - 14,155kg
A large number of volunteers took part in the clean-ups - both individuals and organisation. Special mentions for Antipollution for collection and transportation; Keep Sea Blue and Skyplast for recording and processing the waste and putting it back into the circular economy. Special thanks to the Costas M. Lemos Foundation for financial support.
In Corfu, along with the Managing Director of the Port Authority Spyridon Zervopoulos, the following diving centres took part - Apollo Diving Center Nissaki with Chrysanthos Makris, Professional Diving Center with Christos Mourikis and Spiros Kantas Diving Service with Spiros Kantas.
Bleak outlook
The destruction of the marine environment is, unfortunately, increasing at an extremely fast rate and it is predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. Apart from the incalculable damage to the environment, plastic in the sea also has a major impact on human society and economy. For this reason, there a need for greater awareness worldwide including ports.
Some of the items will be added to the circular economy in collaboration with certified recycling bodies, some to be converted into new products such as benches and waste bins which will then be given back to the ports from which they were collected. Volunteer artists will also use some of the items to create works of art.
The Marine Ministry said that the project was co-organised by the Ministry's Port Secretariat led by Secretary Evaggelos Kyriazopoulos and the non-profit company 'Enaleia' under Eleftherios Arapakis as part of the Mediterranean Clean-up project.
The project is part of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Clean Seas Campaign for World Environment Day (5/6) and World Oceans Day (8/6). It was co-organised Laura Gilzen, adviser to the Ministry Port Secretariat and involves the innovative concept of 'double recycling' and was carried out at 8 ports.
8 ports
8 Greek ports were involved in the project - Rafina, Lavrio, Agios Nikolaos, Chania, Cephalonia, Corfu, Samos and Kimi - with the assistance of the local port authorities, the local authorities and members of the public. All the necessary Covid safety measures were adhered to at all times.
The amount of rubbish collected at each port was as follows:
Rafina - 2,050kg
Corfu - 1,150kg
Lavrio - 5,270kg
Chania - 1,770kg
Samos - 1,670kg
Kimi - 975kg
Agios Nikolaos - 370kg
Cephalonia (2 zones) - 900kg
Total - 14,155kg
A large number of volunteers took part in the clean-ups - both individuals and organisation. Special mentions for Antipollution for collection and transportation; Keep Sea Blue and Skyplast for recording and processing the waste and putting it back into the circular economy. Special thanks to the Costas M. Lemos Foundation for financial support.
In Corfu, along with the Managing Director of the Port Authority Spyridon Zervopoulos, the following diving centres took part - Apollo Diving Center Nissaki with Chrysanthos Makris, Professional Diving Center with Christos Mourikis and Spiros Kantas Diving Service with Spiros Kantas.
Bleak outlook
The destruction of the marine environment is, unfortunately, increasing at an extremely fast rate and it is predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. Apart from the incalculable damage to the environment, plastic in the sea also has a major impact on human society and economy. For this reason, there a need for greater awareness worldwide including ports.
