Association Sunce, the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Nature Areas of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and Kiteboarding Komin-Neretva on April 19, 2024, at the mouth of the Neretva River, joined the environmental action of Večernji list: Rezolucija Zemlja.
The Rezolucija Zemlja project was launched in 2021 with the aim of mobilizing volunteers across the country to clean up the environment and, at the same time, raise awareness of environmental responsibility. Since then, it has become one of the largest environmental projects in the history of Croatia, gathering more than 38,000 volunteers and collecting 381 tons of waste at over 100 locations across the country. This year, diligent cleaning continued in the month of April to celebrate Earth Day, when hundreds of volunteers gathered at more than 50 locations to contribute to the preservation of the environment.
Theme of Earth Day: Planet vs. Plastic
This action is not only a local engagement but also part of a worldwide movement, dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of environmental protection and encouraging society to assume responsibility for nature protection. The theme of this year’s 54th Earth Day is “Planet vs. Plastic”, highlighting the urgent need to reduce plastic use for the benefit of human and planetary health.
– In the past 50 years, the use of plastic has become an indispensable part of our daily life, facilitating many aspects of life while at the same time creating serious problems for the environment. Plastic waste pollutes our seas, rivers and land, endangering ecosystems. Microplastics, small fragments of plastic, are present in almost all parts of nature, and we notice this every year again and again on the Neretva, – said Matea Taraš from Sunce.
We collect data for scientific institutions
Volunteers of the European Solidarity Corps joined the action and monitored collected marine litter along a 100-meter stretch according to the Protocol for Organizing Clean-up Actions in the Marine Environment and Coastal area on the Territory of the Republic of Croatia. A total of 120.41 kilograms of different waste were collected. In addition to the total amount, the protocol determined the complete dominance of plastic from the collected 115.76 kilograms of waste. Compared to plastic, other materials are poorly represented: metal (1.30 kilograms), textiles (1.20 kilograms), paper (0.80 kilograms), wood (0.60 kilograms), glass and ceramics (0.45 kilograms) and rubber (0.30 kilograms).
– We found everything from refrigerators, car tires, and irrigation pipes to tiny pieces of plastic. Such small pieces of plastic are then transported by sea currents, sometimes over very long distances, and endanger all of us, – said Ana Tutavac from Public institution of Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
– In this beautiful place, the sea often brings a variety of marine litter, but we are faced with a lack of adequate places to dispose of the collected litter from the beaches. Therefore, we appeal to municipal companies to organize regular removal of marine litter from these locations in order to preserve the beauty and cleanliness of our coast, – they tell us from the Kiteboarding center Komin-Neretva.
This action is not only an opportunity to clean up the environment, but also a call to action for all of us. Awareness of the importance of nature conservation should not be fleeting. It must become the basis for long-term changes in our life habits and social practices. Through joint engagement, we can create positive change and work to build a more sustainable future for all of us and for future generations.
Sunce continues with clean-up actions in May
The fight against marine litter pollution continues! On May 10, Sunce, in cooperation with Pučišća Elementary School, as part of the Marine Litter Free Dalmatian Island project, is organizing a large-scale clean-up action at two locations starting at 11:00 a.m. in front of the elementary school building.
– Clean beaches, clean sea! We invite you to join us and make a difference, – said Borna Ćurin, a student who, as part of the service-learning program in Sunce, organizes a clean-up action on the island of Brač.
In addition to the interesting cooperation with secondary schools in Croatia and Italy as part of the ML-FREE project, Sunce and Biotherm will join forces on May 21 and contribute to a common goal: the preservation of our sea and coast through education about sea protection and sustainability, i.e. proper waste management. The clean-up action will take place within the Pantan wetland near Trogir. Despite the fact that the Pantan is an extremely valuable habitat for numerous flora and fauna, the area is threatened by a large amount of different waste. Therefore, Sunce continuously monitors the collected marine litter in order to monitor the state of pollution.
– It is important to understand that education about the need to protect the environment and reduce waste represents a key strategy in the fight against marine litter pollution, – said Tea Kuzmičić Rosandić from Sunce.