Why a Clean-Up?

The 86% of collected waste. consists of plastic; this can fragment into smaller and smaller pieces until it disappears from view (microplastics), but it remains in the water or soil. Washed away by rain and carried by the water cycle, these fragments can then end up in our rivers, lakes, and eventually the seas. The waste also impacts wildlife, which can mistake it for food, with serious consequences. It is also in this way that some plastics enter our food chain.

Even a single cigarette butt, despite its small size, releases more than 150 toxic substances for the environment. These substances can infiltrate water sources and harm aquatic life. Organic wastes, although biodegradable, can also alter the balance of ecosystems, introducing or attracting non-native species and spreading disease. For all these reasons, it is important to collect all naturally occurring waste, from the largest to the smallest, and Leave no trace of their passage.