Croatia’s Green Sail launches clean-up campaign to celebrate World Oceans Day on 8 June

by croatiaweek
June 3, 2020
in News

(Photo: Green Sail)

SPLIT, Croatia 3 June 2020 – Green Sail, a Croatian non-profit organisation that deals with sustainable tourism within the nautical sector, has launched a virtual clean-up campaign, Green Sail Takes 5! to honour this year’s World Oceans Day which is globally celebrated on 8 June.

Green Sail has called for a global movement to help protect our seas and oceans in no more than 5 minutes. The campaign is encouraging everyone to take a short break on 8 June, no matter where a person lives in the world, collect 5 pieces of waste and post a photo of their clean-up on social media using the hashtag #GreenSailTakes5.

Every year, on 8 June, people from all over the world get together to celebrate our seas and oceans. By celebrating World Oceans Day, we are reminded of the major part our seas and oceans play in our everyday lives, the important resources they provide us with and our personal connection to them. It is a day reserved for raising awareness around the integral role our waterways play in the story of sustainable development.

(Photo: Green Sail)

Considering that 90% of the waste found in our seas and oceans comes directly from land-based sources, every piece of waste from the mainland, regardless of its size, can have a huge effect on the health of our waterways. Whether it is thrown directly into the sea, blown from landfills into drains and rivers, or transferred through sewer pipes from everyday household items, it is precisely our seas and oceans that become the final destination for trash. By removing land-based waste for just 5 minutes during this campaign, any participant can indirectly make a great contribution to the cleanliness of our waterways and help our seas and oceans stay healthy.

(Photo: Green Sail)

With the recent global pandemic at the forefront of campaign planning, Green Sail wanted to initiate a joint eco-action, mobilising the international community and tourism industry to work together. Although Green Sail as an organisation has been organising several local clean-ups in the past, this is its first worldwide virtual movement, making it easy for anyone to get involved regardless of their location. The #GreenSailTakes5 campaign connects like-minded participants in an online community that facilitates the movement’s virtual and international elements, allowing local communities and individuals all over the world to participate whilst respecting their countries safety regulations.

(Photo: Green Sail)

Participants are encouraged to make this year’s World Oceans Day as simple or as large as they are able to! This is a great opportunity to get together with family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, or even get involved as an individual to collect at least 5 pieces of rubbish from a local area. For each person that Takes 5, there will be five fewer pieces of trash that could end up in our seas and oceans.

Anyone can get involved by joining Green Sail’s Facebook Group, where useful information on how to participate in the clean-up is shared regularly and participants can communicate prior to the event. The group has already been joined by like-minded people from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Estonia, Cambodia, etc. who are committed to participating in the challenge to help protect our seas and oceans!