Depeche Mode back to support our fight against plastic pollution!

The new project ‘Tejiendo Futuro’, promoted by Menorca Preservation and its sister organisations in Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, is funded by Depeche Mode and the luxury watch brand Hublot through Conservation Collective

The British band Depeche Mode and the Swiss watch brand Hublot have once again collaborated with environmental organisations in the Balearic Islands, supporting a new project that brings together the Menorca Preservation, Mallorca Preservation and IbizaPreservation foundations in the fight against plastic pollution in the archipelago.

These foundations are part of the global Conservation Collective network, from where they contribute funds donated by the band as part of its charitable collaboration with Hublot to end plastic pollution through local community-led initiatives and educational and awareness-raising activities.

Under the slogan ‘Weaving the Future: an Alliance for the Preservation of the Balearic Islands’, the year-long project seeks to tackle the problem through three lines of action: scientific research, the promotion of the circular economy and raising public awareness.

Conservation Collective President Ben Goldsmith says: ‘We are delighted and hugely grateful to have the support of Hublot and Depeche Mode as we work to turbocharge environmental restoration efforts in a growing list of places around the world’

A study to find out the impact of plastic on the Balearic seabed

One of the key initiatives of this project will be the investigation of the debris present on the seabed near the coast of the islands. The aim of the study is to gain a better understanding of their presence, typology and abundance, as well as to be able to put forward hypotheses about their origin. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) and various local diving centres. The study will conclude with the creation of a database and a detailed report that will serve to promote concrete actions to mitigate plastic pollution and develop effective strategies for its reduction, providing new scientific knowledge.

A circular economy network at Balearic level

In addition, inspired by the initiative to reuse fishing nets ‘PescArt Menorca’, promoted by Menorca Preservation, the three foundations will explore the feasibility of creating a collaborative and circular network at the Balearic level. On the one hand, they will seek to identify different plastic waste with the potential to be used as raw material and, on the other hand, they will promote its reuse, collaborating with people, companies and entities interested in giving a second life to these materials from an artistic, artisan or other disciplines approach. This process will culminate at the end of the year in Menorca with a meeting of the entities, people and companies identified in Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera with the network of artisans and artists of PescArt Menorca.

During the event, they will share knowledge, experiences and the challenges of working with recycled materials.

A magic show about the 7Rs

Raising environmental awareness will be another of the main pillars of the project, with a special focus on young people in 5th and 6th grade of primary school. Through the children’s show ‘The Magic of Recycling’, devised and promoted by IbizaPreservation, an educational and motivational message will be taken to schoolchildren on the four islands to promote the 7Rs of waste management (collect, repair, reject, rethink, reuse, reduce, recycle). This activity will be developed in collaboration with educational centres and cultural venues to ensure wider community outreach and participation.

From Menorca Preservation, Director Rebecca Morris says, ‘We are very grateful for the continued support of Depeche Mode and Hublot through their partnership with the Conservation Collective. This support gives us the opportunity to continue to fight plastic pollution on multiple fronts: research, the circular economy and education. In addition, being able to walk this path together with our sister foundations, Mallorca Preservation and IbizaPreservation, helps us to amplify our impact, allowing us to identify more effective and far-reaching solutions’

This is not the first time that the three foundations have enlisted the help of Depeche Mode, Hublot and Conservation Collective to carry out projects aimed at tackling the problem of plastic pollution. In Menorca, in particular, they facilitated the certification of some thirty companies in the HoReCa sector through Plastic Free Balearics in 2024, the installation of 10 reuse points for beach articles, more than 30 plastic collections, as well as other awareness-raising and dissemination activities.

They have also supported the Kilometres of Plastic for Iris project, a Balearic initiative that seeks to recruit 0 Plastic Warriors among young people aged 12 to 19 in memory of the daughter of Ben Goldsmith, co-founder of Menorca Preservation and president of Conservation Collective.

With this new project, the foundations involved seek to consolidate a collaborative work model that will generate a lasting impact on the conservation of the marine ecosystems of the four islands.