Map of the week – Beach Clean Up events

Did you know that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in our ocean[1]? Plastic and marine litter are slowly killing our oceans, with 10 million tonnes of litter¹ dumped in our seas and waterways every year.

The EU is actively taking actions to beat plastic pollution through ambitious policy measures, awareness raising activities and innovative projects. The protection of our ocean is everyone's responsibility and any citizen can contribute by participating in cleaning activities but also by reducing waste that affects the entire planet.

For our last “Map of the week” of 2018, we would like to celebrate the hundreds of volunteers who took actions this year to raise awareness of the need to reduce global waste and to protect our ecosystems, marine life and public health.

The #EUBeachCleanup campaign 2018 started on 11 September in Fiji and ran until 27 October in Singapore. About 60 Beach Clean Events took place during this campaign which are illustrated in a brand new European Atlas of the Seas' map. As an example, 700 volunteers, including 100 divers, gathered for an event in Marseille (France) to collect approximately 230m³ of waste.

Click on the map to learn more about these events and to find out if an event has been organised in your country!

Together, let’s tackle marine litter and beat plastic pollution!

ACCESS THE MAP