Plastic Free: Mountain to Sea
MAY 2021 UPDATE: WE DID IT!!! 4,160KM OF CLEAN-UP!
Read more HERE
Following on from the success of the 2 Million Tree project, EOCA was delighted to be launching its new 2 year focus in Jan 2019: Plastic Free: Mountain to Sea. The headline target for this Focus was that EOCA and its members would collectively clear 3000km of habitat, trail and beach of plastic waste and pollution over the next 2 years. That is the distance from the Mediterranean coast to Lapland!
As part of the plastic focus, EOCA launched a Fundraising Project that is looking for your help. Anyone can get involved in providing funding for it and implementing it- help us raise more money and deliver more cleanups, education, reduction and reuse of single use plastic. Lets leave a positive legacy from the European outdoor industry and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere! See below for more details.
300 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually globally, 8 million tonnes of which enter the oceans each year. 80% of marine plastics originates from land sources – impacting on all habitats and wild places, threatening wildlife, food safety, human health and contributing to climate change. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) considers plastic marine debris and its ability to transport harmful substances as one of the main emerging issues affecting the environment.
Plastic pollution is found in mountains, around crags, along and in rivers and lakes, forests and coastlines impacting disastrously on wildlife and blighting every type of habitat and landscape enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts. A lot of the plastic waste will find its way to lakes and rivers and ultimately end up in the oceans where it wil degrade, releasing toxic chemicals as it does so. 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds are killed every year through entanglement or by ingesting plastic litter.
As an organisation raising money to look after the health and well-being of the planet, EOCA is committed to playing its part in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. SDG 14 (Life Below Water) is one of those highlighted by EOCA as of utmost of relevance to its own vision and new focus as it aims to “prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution”.
With this in mind, EOCA works with its members and the European outdoor industry to clean up plastic waste from habitats from the summits of mountains to the shores of the seas, whilst also reducing their use of everyday single-use plastics. This ran in conjunction with educating and inspiring outdoor enthusiasts to get involved to combat the issues.
The headline target for this 2 year focus was that EOCA and its members would collectively clear 3000km of habitat, trail and beach of plastic waste and pollution over the next 2 years. That is the distance from the Mediterranean coast to Lapland!
Over the two years of the focus, EOCA funded a number of projects which tackle the issue of plastic pollution around the world. These projects were chosen through the usual application, assessment and voting processes. (We also continued to fund a broad range of other conservation projects over this period). In addition, we launched a Fundraising Project looking for support from you! You can read all about these projects contributing to the target as they are selected for support by EOCA below.
In addition to supporting the cleaning up of plastic pollution already doing harm in the environment, we also worked with EOCA members to reduce the use of everyday single use plastic by the industry. Please click on the Plastic Pledge tab to read more about this work.
Stichting Duik de Noordzee Schoon (SDDNZS) is a group of dedicated volunteers committing their time to achieve a cleaner and healthier North Sea, preserve biodiversity, cultural heritage, and the recovery of reefs in the North Sea. SDDNZS specialises in the recovery of lost fishing nets (ghost nets), plastics, and other rubbish in the marine environment.
Summit Foundation aims to reduce the environmental impact of human activity in high traffic locations by proposing concrete solutions and awareness-raising methods, both to public bodies and to companies.
Trash Free Trails (TFT) is a community-focussed, non-profit organisation; a positive, inclusive call to arms for riders, runners and roamers alike. TFT exists to protect our trails and the wild places they take us, and they are starting with litter (aka – Plastic Pollution!).
Planet Patrol is a community-led movement sitting at the intersection of environment and wellbeing. Its mission is to ignite and drive behavioural, industrial and political change through community action and citizen science, exploring natural places whilst cleaning up and protecting our planet and wildlife for the future.
Lighthouse Relief is based in a very small community on Lesvos, Greece. Founded in response to the thousands of refugees arriving every day in rubber dinghies, the organisation is embedded in the local community providing a humanitarian response to the crisis. ECO Relief was formed in response to the huge amount of refuse left as a result of the refugee landings. The work not only protects the local environment but also the local main economies of fishing and tourism.
FUNDRAISER PROJECT – Plastic Free: Mountain to Sea. ALL funds have now been raised for this project – thank you to all who contributed to making this project a success!
Surfrider Foundation Europe is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of Europe’s oceans, seas, beaches, lakes, rivers and coastlines.
The European Research Institute (ERI) is a non-profit organisation that works to promote research and experimentation for innovation in scientific and social fields. Its main objective is to improve the environment, economic, and cultural conditions of European citizens and promote respect for the territory and the living being.
Morecambe Bay Partnership’s vision is a thriving Bay, rich in landscape, wildlife and culture which connects and inspires residents and visitors alike. Their aims are to celebrate the Bay’s landscape and history, conserve the Bay’s nature, culture and heritage, connect to improve access and quality of life and collaborate with key partners and the community.
Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) cares for the people, landscape and wildlife of the Dales and helps everyone to appreciate and enjoy this special place.
Fundación Proyecto Primates’ mission is working towards the conservation of primates and their habitats in Colombia and northern South America. Their main goal is to protect primates and the ecosystems they live in through research, education, empowering communities and stakeholders, and through local capacity building.
Save the Med Foundation envisions a clean and healthy Mediterranean Sea and works, through research, education and prevention, to recover its rich biodiversity and permit it to thrive in harmony with prospering, environmentally conscious and proactive local populations.
APRENDER Ecology (Actions for the Preservation of Natural Resources and Reasonable Economic Development) aims to protect the environment as well as diffuse and collective rights, the preservation of natural resources, and rational economic development. APRENDER seeks to improve the quality of life through environmental education while encouraging the exercise of eco-citizenship and volunteering.
Small Mammal Conservation and Research Foundation serves as consultancy, advocacy, research and conservation development in the field of small mammals and least studies wildlife in Nepal.
FUNDRAISER PROJECT – Plastic Free: Mountain to Sea. ALL funds have now been raised for this project – thank you to all who contributed to making this project a success!
Surfrider Foundation Europe is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of Europe’s oceans, seas, beaches, lakes, rivers and coastlines.
Lighthouse Relief is based in a very small community on Lesvos, Greece. Founded in response to the thousands of refugees arriving every day in rubber dinghies, the organisation is embedded in the local community providing a humanitarian response to the crisis. ECO Relief was formed in response to the huge amount of refuse left as a result of the refugee landings. The work not only protects the local environment but also the local main economies of fishing and tourism.
RTV – Associação para o Estudo e Conservação dos Oceanos (AECO) – Responsible Tourism Volunteer – Ocean Research and Conservation Association. The organisation’s mission is to support marine environment research, education and conservation, creating awareness and inspiring action towards the protection of sea life.
Instituto Curicaca contributes to the viability of all life forms, promoting respect for ecological processes, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, cultural diversity and valorization of assets, expressions, practices and knowledge in the Atlantic Forest, Pampa and Coastal region biomes.
Itsas Gela- Aula del Mar was created with the objective of making known the wide range of possibilities that maritime culture offers, from a perspective of conservation and respect towards the environment and its people.
Integrated Mountain Initiative’s vision of ‘Making the people of India proud of our mountains” aims to focus attention on India’s Himalayan Regions (IHR) to mainstream the concept of Sustainable mountain development into the administrative planning concept of IHR.
Acceso PanAm aims to ensure that all appropriate climbing areas are open, free from unreasonable restrictions and maintained as high quality climbing environments for current and future climbers
Summit Foundation aims to reduce the environmental impact of human activity in high traffic locations by proposing concrete solutions and awareness-raising methods, both to public bodies and to companies
Resources Himalaya Foundation aims to conserve biodiversity in the Himalayas, promoting sustainable use of natural resources including soil, water, forest and rangeland, improving livelihoods of the poor, disadvantaged and marginalised sections of society.
European Wilderness Society is the only pan-European, wilderness and environmental advocacy non profit organisation. It aims to identify, designate and steward Europe’s last wildernesses, including coasts, rivers, forests and islands.
Lighthouse Relief was founded in response to the thousands of refugees arriving every day in rubber dinghies and aims to act as a beacon in harsh conditions, standing in support of those who need it most.
