Organisation requesting funding:

Per la Mar Viva, a non-profit association which aims to educate public administrations, business, private organisations and individuals in order to reduce any waste ending up in Menorca’s waters and coastline via introducing excellent waste management systems and this way contribute to the reduction of plastics being found in the sea and on our coastline. The president and his volunteers have spent three years carrying out extensive cleans of Menorca’s coastline to support their plastic reduction campaign work and with the waste collected they have made an excellent exhibition which many local town halls asked to exhibit last summer. They have also been approached by Palma Aquarium and the Barcelona town hall to take their exhibition there.

YouSocial Volunteer, are a volunteer abroad programme based in Madrid. In light of COVId-19 the organization decided to focus their volunteer programme more locally and therefore this year are organizing a 5-day volunteer programme on plastic reduction and beach cleaning in Menorca- the programme is called OPlastic Menorca.

Issue of Concern being addressed:

In this proposal the area of interest is Waste Management and Marine Conservation. PER LA MAR VIVA located different points of plastic accumulation in the coast and organised its first volunteering event of PER LA MAR VIVA association (in terms of receiving people from other parts of the country that specifically come to Menorca to spend their holidays doing volunteering activities). The project was implemented on the north coast of Menorca in coastal areas of Ciudadela and Ferrerías.

Amount requested from MEPF:

This volunteering project in Menorca was carried out with a group of young people (a group of 12) that belong to an Esplai in Barcelona who spent their holidays volunteering for PER LA MAR VIVA, collaborating with the environment and participating in organisation’s coastal cleaning activities.

Carlos Salord, founder of PER LA MAR VIVA, has put together a 5-day plan to address the plastic waste being accumulated on the north coast and the volunteers spent 5 days cleaning a part of the coast, analyzing the waste being collected and clearing up nearly 1 ton of plastic (910kg’s)

The project is related with PER LA MAR VIVA previous projects as it has both an educational component, allowing young people to participate actively in the marine environmental theme, but also contributing to his coastal cleaning strategy.

Project collaborations:

Per La Mar Viva: Ciutadella Town Hall, Ferreries Town Hall and PER LA MAR VIVA volunteers who this year have lost their jobs due to COVID-19

OPlastic Menorca: YouSocial Volunteer, Per La Mar Viva, Menorca Preservation Fund, GOB Menorca, Biosphere Reserve Agency, Consell Insular de Menorca, ECOALF, Menorca New Rent.

General project objective:

PER LA MAR VIVA’s objective is to engage young people to keep cleaning beaches and coastal areas during their holidays but also to ensure that they continue their annual data collection on the waste collected.
Per la Mar Viva separates and analyses all the waste collected to then use that data to lobby for better beach cleaning services from the Consell and Town halls as well as asking for an improvement to the waste management processes on the island.

OPlastic Menorca: The objective of OPlastic Menorca is to raise awareness and sensitize the population, especially the youngest, about the problems of plastics in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as to promote sustainable and responsible tourism on the island via beach cleaning activities, followed by 5 days of “Beach Talks” on different plastic related issues.

The projects specific objectives are:

Both of these beach cleaning initiatives focus on collecting waste from Menorca’s beaches and coast, as well as using this experiences to raise awareness and educate. The participants are both local Menorca’s and people coming specifically for the experience from the mainland.

The project aims to increase people’s understanding when it comes to waste management and the use of plastics, especially, in order to address the big problem of plastics ending up in the Mediterranean Sea and along Menorca’s coastline.

Project phases:

10 days of intensive volunteering.

Chronology:

Per la Mar viva: 4th to 8th August

OPlastic Menorca: 11th to 15th August