International Coastal Cleanup Day

International Coastal Cleanup Day stands as the world's largest volunteer endeavour dedicated to addressing the issue of waste in seas and waterways. As such, this September, as active members of the Clean up Montenegro network, we actively participated in an organised waste cleanup and audit campaign. Our primary aim was to raise awareness of sea pollution within our country.

We sincerely hope that everyone is aware of the severe harm inflicted by plastic on human health, wildlife, and the natural environment. This menace originates from fossil fuels and commences its destructive journey from the moment of oil or gas extraction, persisting throughout its entire lifespan. Plastic compounds the predicament of climate change and releases greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, it infiltrates our bodies, resulting in an annual ingestion of no less than 74,000 microplastic particles through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we consume.

In addressing this pressing issue, we all have a pivotal role to play. As responsible citizens, we can reduce our waste, engage in composting food scraps, and substitute disposable products in our daily lives with reusable alternatives, such as bags, reusable bottles, tissues, and cutlery, among others. Manufacturers, too, hold a significant stake in this endeavour, offering us the opportunity to choose more sustainable options. This is precisely why we conducted a comprehensive waste audit on September 16th, after the cleanup.

The data collected during the Brand Audit enabled us to pinpoint the companies whose products most frequently surfaced during our campaigns. Subsequently, Zero Waste Montenegro will reach out to these entities and implore them to shoulder responsibility. We urge them to curtail the proliferation of single-use packaging in the market and redesign their packaging to minimise its adverse impact on the environment.

The teams from Lustica Bay and The Chedi Lu?tica Bay Hotel sponsored and participated in the International Day of Coastal Cleanup. These activities involved the cleaning of the Vojna Beach locality in Bigovo Bay in coordination with Zero Waste Montenegro. In addition to our teams, a total of eighteen local organisations, all of which are part of the Clean Up Montenegro network, organised clean-up campaigns and waste analysis across the country. Our team derived immense satisfaction from this undertaking, driven by the loftier objective of fostering a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing living environment.