Over the past five years, almost ten thousand people in Portugal have learned about ocean trash.

Over the past five years, almost 10,000 people have been trained through the Mares Circulares program, which raises awareness of ocean issues and also promotes the collection of nine thousand tons of waste.

The program in Portugal and Spain was created in 2018 and is coordinated in Portugal by the League for the Protection of Nature (LPN), which has already attracted 9,717 participants from 35 municipalities.

Ana Sofia Ribeiro, coordinator of LPN’s Department of Environmental Education, Education and Training, explained to Lusa that the project is largely aimed at raising awareness of issues such as waste and the circular economy, promoting cleanup of the aquatic environment and the seabed, and encouraging recycling.

In both Portugal and Spain it is based on awareness and information, involving people and organizations willing to collaborate with the project, from schools to companies and associations. Information focused on the waste problem, its origins and solutions “ultimately empowers people to take action,” explained the person in charge.

It is these people, says Ana Sofía Ribeiro, who then intervene on the ground, for example in beach cleanups: in five years, 8.7 tons of rubbish were collected in Portugal, involving schools, companies, diving schools or fishermen.

The Mares Circulares program also invests in promoting actions that offer innovative solutions and technologies to address the problem of marine litter, through competitions and prizes for the best ocean protection projects.

Are people more aware of this protection? Ana Sofía Ribeiro responded that people are increasingly concerned about the environment in general and the oceans, but they also have many doubts.

“Even with recycling there are always doubts. Information is not reaching people correctly, although they are interested,” the person in charge told Luse.

But he also lamented that cigarette butts are the most common litter found on beaches, near footpaths and on sandy beaches. And here, he said, “there is a lot of work to be done.”

Another aspect of the biennial project is monitoring the generation of marine debris on 11 beaches in Portugal.

According to information published this Thursday, on the occasion of the presentation of the results of the last five years, three scientific studies have already been awarded at a ceremony at the Vasco da Gama Aquarium in Lisbon.

In 2022, according to the organization, more than five tons of plastic were given a second life, saved with the support of fishermen participating in the project, resulting in the creation of 15 benches made from 100% recycled plastic.