EU Delegation initiates beach clean-up campaign in Azerbaijan

Baku/15.09.18/Turan: On 15 September, the International Coastal Clean-up day, the European Union Delegation with the support of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, EkoSfera Social and Ecological Centre mobilized the staff of the Embassies of the European Union Member-States and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development for beach cleaning campaign.

"Beach pollution concerns each of us and is a problem we all contribute to and it"s only fair we all solve it together. That"s why we came together today to raise awareness about the effects of the marine litter and call everyone to join us to protect our globe from pollution by not only cleaning up but prevention of waste", Ambassador Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of the EU Delegation was quoted.

Over 200 representatives of the diplomatic community and their family members joined the campaign by cleaning up one of the beaches in Novkhani settlement of Baku. Students of the French-Azerbaijan University, participants of the "Young European Neighbours" network run by the Open Neighbourhood, former alumni of the EuroSchools organized by the EU Delegation also joined the initiative. It should be noted that the EU Delegation is one of 40 Delegations that joined the #EUBeachCleanup Campaign globally.

Some interesting facts:

- Around 95% of the marine litter ends up at the bottom of our ocean, causing damage to the seabed, fauna and flora. Only 5% is washed ashore.

- In the EU, 80-85% of beach litter is plastics. Around 50% of the plastic beach litter are single use plastics (plastic bags, cutlery, wipes and food containers, cups, etc).

- 8 million tonnes of plastics go into the sea each year. It takes hundreds of years to degrade and it gets disintegrated into tiny pieces that end in our food chain.

- UN Environment estimated the total natural capital cost to marine ecosystems of plastic littering damage at USD 13 billion per year.

- On 29-30 October world ocean leaders will come together for the 5th #OurOcean conference in Bali. The EU is committed to play its part, at home and abroad, for a healthier, more sustainable ocean and thriving coastal communities.

This was reported by the EU delegation.--0--

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