Kilometres of plastic for Iris – 6th edition

IES Pasqual Calbó i Caldés and IES Joan Ramis i Ramis Win the Menorca Awards in ‘Kilometres of Plastic for Iris’

The initiative engaged 195 young people in Menorca, who removed 238 kilos of litter and covered almost 9,700 kilometres

Students from 4ESO-A at IES Joan Ramis i Ramis and the Cooperació i Servei class at IES Pasqual Calbó i Caldés have been named the Menorca winners of the sixth edition of Kilometres of Plastic for Iris, a Balearic-wide educational initiative promoted by Menorca Preservation, IbizaPreservation and Mallorca Preservation, and delivered by the association 0 Plastic to raise awareness among young people about the impact of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.

This year’s edition of Kilometres of Plastic for Iris brought together 195 young people from Menorca, who became true “0 Plastic Warriors”, covering a total of 9,785 kilometres and removing 238 kilos of litter from the natural environment.

In recognition of their commitment to the project, students from the Cooperació i Servei class at IES Pasqual Calbó i Caldés were awarded a kayaking excursion in Es Grau on Wednesday 17 June, thanks to the support of Menorca en Kayak. Meanwhile, students from 4ESO-A at IES Joan Ramis i Ramis received a €1,000 grant to help cover the costs of their end-of-year school trip.

Outstanding participation across the Balearic Islands

Across the Balearic Islands, the sixth edition of Kilometres of Plastic for Iris engaged 698 students from Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, who collectively covered 28,099 kilometres and removed 870 kilos of plastic litter from natural areas across the islands.

In addition to removing waste from the environment, the project has helped students gain a deeper understanding of the impact of plastic pollution and actively participate in environmental protection through an initiative that combines environmental education, physical activity and citizen science.

“Kilometres of Plastic for Iris is one of those projects that reminds us why environmental education is so important. We firmly believe that engaging young people with environmental challenges through direct experience is one of the most effective ways to create lasting change. Seeing hundreds of students across Menorca actively involved in protecting our environment, while learning, connecting first-hand with the island’s natural world and contributing to citizen science, is incredibly encouraging,” said Rebecca Morris, Executive Director of Menorca Preservation.

“It is inspiring to see how the combination of sport, science and ecology can spark such a powerful response among young people. Through Kilometres of Plastic for Iris, we want future generations not only to understand the problem of marine plastic pollution, but also to see themselves as part of the solution through direct action. The participating students have shown extraordinary environmental awareness, reminding us that caring for our sea is a shared responsibility that they have already embraced with pride,” said Alba Carbonell, co-founder of 0 Plastic.

Since its launch in 2021, Kilometres of Plastic for Iris has engaged thousands of young people across the Balearic Islands in tackling plastic pollution through environmental education, citizen science and direct action. The initiative honours the memory of Iris Goldsmith, a young environmental activist and daughter of Ben Goldsmith, co-founder of the three foundations behind the project.