Did you know that 368 million tons of plastic are produced each year, of which 50% is designed to be used only once? Globally, one million plastic bottles are produced every minute, and the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) says that if measures are not taken to reduce this, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050!
EndPlasticSoup is a global initiative initiated in 2018 by a group of Rotary Clubs in Amsterdam to raise awareness and create programmes that address this issue. Thanks to the Ambassador Clubs in each Rotary District, there are now hundreds of Clubs worldwide currently participating in this movement. The Rotary Club Marbella-Guadalmina is an Ambassador Club for EndPlasticSoup, and its President, Willem Falter, is also on the Board of the global initiative.
“La España Azul” A unique initiative supported by Rotary
Through cooperation with the University of Cadiz and its programme for the Protection of Marine Environments, Willem was introduced to Nacho Dean, an incredible young man whose dedication to saving our oceans is inspirational.
Nacho’s latest venture, La España Azul, run in cooperation with the University of Cadiz, is a scientific expedition based on their marine ecosystems research and with a specific focus on plastics and microplastics. Its aim is to create the first map of marine litter around the Spanish coastline. End Plastic Soup is now partnered with La España Azul.
Willem contacted Pablo Cervantes, who represents the Ambassador Club of Vitoria in District 2202, and asked for his help in approaching Rotary Clubs along the route of the Expedition to provide local support. Pablo and the Rotary Club de Vitoria immediately agreed and cooperation between the Clubs commenced to aid La España Azul on its journey along the coastline of their District.
The project now has the full support of all three Rotary Districts in Spain.
Rotarians are known as People of Action, and the work being done through the EndPlasticSoup (www.endplasticsoup.com) initiative and La España Azul perfectly embodies this principle.
