More than 1,000 young people have already taken part in this Balearic initiative, becoming “0 Plastic Warriors”
Ibiza, 27-01-24 – On World Environmental Education Day, the Balearic-wide initiative, Kilometres of Plastic for Iris, is kicking off its fourth edition, inviting students from secondary school, high school, basic vocational training and intermediate vocational training to join the fight against plastic pollution on the islands by becoming “0 Plastic Warriors”.
The challenge involves organising outings and plastic collection activities in nature with friends and/or family and sharing video ideas on how to reduce plastic pollution on their islands. A new feature in this fourth edition of the initiative, promoted in Ibiza and Formentera by IbizaPreservation and organised by the Balearic association 0 Plastic, is that the young participants also will weigh and analyse the types of waste collected to measure the environmental impact of this problem on our islands. IbizaPreservation is once again joining forces with Mallorca Preservation and Menorca Preservation, members of Conservation Collective, a global network of environmental foundations working to conserve nature worldwide, to launch this initiative in memory of Iris Goldsmith, a young environmental activist and daughter of Ben Goldsmith, co-founder of these organisations.
This year, the initiative is co-financed by the British band Depeche Mode, who are contributing funds through their charitable collaboration with the luxury watch brand Hublot as part of their Memento Mori world tour.
The activity aims to engage and give a voice to the younger generations to take action against plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. With 15,000 km covered last year by all participants who fought against plastic pollution, this year’s even more ambitious goal is to reach a total of 20,000 km.
Furthermore, in addition to covering kilometres, young people are also invited to form pairs and create a simple video explaining where they went on their outings, what types of plastics they found, and what solution they propose to tackle this pollution.
The jury, made up of members from the organisations involved, will evaluate the audiovisual proposals that present creative solutions based on the 3 Rs: reject, reuse, and above all, reduce, whether on an individual, public, or business level.
Another new feature this year is the inclusion of more prizes compared to previous editions, divided into two categories: “VIDEOS” and “KILOMETRES.” In the first category, winners will be eligible for 18 prizes—consisting of an introductory diving course—for the best 1-minute videos submitted at a Balearic level, while in the second category, the 30 students who cover the most kilometres will win kayaking or paddleboarding excursions.
“At IbizaPreservation, we remain committed to raising awareness among younger people about the enormous problem of plastics so that, in addition to understanding the challenges we face, they can help repair the damage and regenerate our environment by putting their creativity at the service of this challenge,” said Inma Saranova, director of the environmental foundation.
Meanwhile, the 0 Plastic co-founder Alba Carbonell emphasised the inspiring potential of today’s youth: “They are highly skilled when it comes to communicating impactful messages through digital content. In this sense, we believe it’s important to both empower and give a voice to those who are most aware of environmental issues, and also show that there are ways to use social media for a good cause.”
Registrations for the competition are now open on Instagram at @kilometrosdeplasticoporiris, and interested youngsters can also find all the information about this initiative on the 0 Plastic website at 0plastic.es in the projects section.
