On Sunday morning we did a Clean Walk at Santa Teresa Bay.

 

In a few hours we collected several kilos of waste on the beach and the rocks, mostly plastic, cigarette butts and glass. During our walk on the rocks we ‘disturbed’ some people who were sunbathing who asked about the ongoing activity and the Smart Bay Santa Teresa Project. We explained that the success of the Project – having a natural, healthy and sustainable bay – is based on daily actions, involving the community as a whole, especially those citizens who live the bay an oasis of peace and of well-being. So, in few minutes, several sunbathers joined us in the cleaning, demonstrating their care to Nature and marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Santa Teresa bay.

 

After spending few minutes to collect rubbish from the natural environments, we immediately realize how much has to be done and, above all, can be done for helping Nature. Our active behaviors are fundamental. We ware all responsible for our actions – never leaving our waste in the environment, sorting it and disposing of it at home or in collection and recycling areas – but also in correcting someone else actions by picking up waste from the ocean – such as plastic nets, polystyrene, glass,…- and from the ground, such as cigarette butts, cans…. It is no longer time to call for somone else responsibility. Even if we act for limiting pollution, ‘active’ and virtuous behaviors (collection, sorting and disposal of waste) areneeded for reducing our carbon footprint, also determined by untreated waste that, persisting in different environments over time, will cause permanent damages on natural ecosystems.

 

For providing you a concrete example, see below the expected time of degradation in the ocean of some waste types (e.g. plastic bottles, one use cutlery, cigarettes, glass, cans,…) if they would not have been collected during the Clean Walk last Sunday.