The 5th edition of the Kilometres of Plastic for IRis kicks off

30,000 km travelled by young people throughout the Balearic Islands: the challenge of the 5th edition of Kilometres of Plastic for Iris

Over 1500 ‘0 Plastic Warriors’ who have fought against plastic pollution have already travelled more than 63,000 km over the last 4 years.

As part of World Environment Education Day today, Menorca Preservation has announced that Kilometres of Plastic for Iris, a Balearic initiative that aims to raise awareness among the younger generation about the problem of plastic pollution, will start its fifth edition on February 1st.

The project’s organisers are inviting students from secondary school, high school, elementary school and intermediate vocational training to join the challenge, which consists of organising excursions and collecting plastic in nature with friends and/or family and sharing ideas on how to reduce plastic pollution on their islands. As a novelty, in this fifth edition of the initiative, promoted in Menorca by Menorca Preservation and coordinated by 0 Plastic, young people will be able to share their proposals for tackling plastic pollution on their island not only in video format, but also in essay, poem, drawing or artwork format, according to their skills and interests.

To do so, they must register in advance via the link in the Instagram bio @kilometrosdeplasticoporiris or on the website www.0plastic.es and they will receive all the information on the rules of the initiative.

Menorca Preservation once again joins forces with Mallorca Preservation and IbizaPreservation, members of Conservation Collective, a global network of environmental foundations working for the conservation of nature around the world, to launch this action in memory of Iris Goldsmith, a young environmental activist and daughter of Ben Goldsmith, co-founder of the three entities. The activity, which is funded by the band Depeche Mode and its partner Hublot, channelled through Conservation Collective, aims to engage and give a voice to the younger generation to take action against plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.

The jury, made up of members of the entities involved, will evaluate the proposals of the ‘0 Plastic Warriors’ who present creative solutions based on the so-called 3 R’s: Recycle, Reuse and above all Reduce, both at an individual level and at a public or business level. There will be up to 18 prizes distributed among the four islands for the best entries, consisting of an introductory diving course.

There will also be additional prizes of kayaking or paddle surfing excursions for the 30 people who cover the most kilometres and, new this year, also for the students who collect the most kilograms of plastic on their excursions.

‘After 4 years of consolidating this wonderful initiative in the Balearic Islands, in this 5th edition we wanted to highlight the value of creativity and teamwork in promoting new habits and raising awareness of the serious problem of plastic pollution‘, says Rebecca Morris, our Executive Director, and adds: “For this reason, we have expanded the disciplines allowed to participate in the ”1 minute for your island’ competition, and incorporated a new prize for the class that collects the most plastic on the outings’.

Meanwhile, 0 Plastic co-founder Alba Carbonell insists on the inspirational potential of today’s young people: ‘It is important to give more voice to those young leaders with greater environmental awareness so that they can inspire their friends, peers and family and encourage them to change their consumption habits by using less plastic, especially single-use plastic’.

Registrations will open online from 1 February.