News
30 tons of trash, 2,800 volunteers,15 countries!
In September 2023, AKTI Project and Research Center invited people from all around the world to clean our seas and shores. The response was overwhelming, as the global community wholeheartedly embraced the #potavristou initiative. A total of 2,832 volunteers from 294 locations across 15 countries came together to collect 30 tons of trash during September 2023, marking the fifth year of the #potavristou campaign.
From locations as diverse as Malta to Australia and California to the Black Sea, #potavristou volunteers cleaned beaches, mountains, parks, and lakes, while providing valuable field data that revealed an alarming fact: 85% of the collected litter was identified as plastic!
Over the five-year journey of the campaign, more than 10,000 dedicated volunteers have participated, gathering 77 tons of trash from 1,050 locations in Cyprus and 250 locations abroad. These 77 tons of trash, if left unaddressed, would have found their way back to the sea and returned to our lives as microplastics with the arrival of the first rain.
Since 2019, the #potavristou campaign has transcended national boundaries, gaining global recognition for its tremendous impact. In 2020, it was honored by the International Ocean Conservancy as one of the world’s top 10 most innovative initiatives for cleaner coastlines and seas. In 2021, it received recognition from the Mediterranean NGO network, MIO-ESCADE. In 2022, the #potavristou campaign once again secured the support of the international organization Ocean Conservancy as part of the #TeamSeas initiative, and it proudly received a silver award at the Carob Awards in 2022.
We extend our gratitude to everyone who supported #potavristou2023 with such passion and dedication this year!
Read the Press Release in Greek:
