Clean Up the World 2019: |12 August 2019

Yes - we can beat plastic pollution!

Clean Up the World is once again upon us and the steering committees on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue have been meeting to work out the organisation of events for this year.

‘Yes, we can beat plastic pollution’ has been selected as the theme for this year, in keeping with the actions that have already been undertaken in 2019, such as banning of selected plastic products, the Aldabra Clean Up, outer island clean-up, and increased focus on the ocean and the threat posed by the release of waste, especially plastic waste, to the oceans.

Activities are planned between September 16 and 22, 2019 and the main events planned are as follows: campaign launch on Praslin - Cote D’Or on Monday 16; clean-up activities by community groups, schools, government and private entities etc. at various locations during the week, and removal of waste by households during the weekend of September 20-22.

For the launch the Land Waste Management Agency (LWMA) is aiming to engage key players on Praslin and get them to showcase the actions that they are taking, especially in the reduction of plastic use, waste separation in the tourism industry and group efforts by the youth, schools and businesses on the island.

“We know that plastic is the most important form of litter in the environment, and the cleaning activities that are planned shall target these on land, on the coast and at sea (beach and dive cleanup),” says a communiqué from the LWMA. To create awareness under the theme of the campaign, radio phone-ins are being organised this month. School activities with the support of the Ministry of Education are being planned, waste composition records for all cleaning campaigns is being introduced such that composition of waste collected at different sites can be reported upon to showcase the severity of the litter and the plastic problem.

The Clean up the campaign continues to receive support from various private and public entities in the country, and the committee is especially grateful to those who have kept Clean Up the World on their annual calendar and have mobilised early for the campaign. Many groups have already communicated their commitment to do their part for the campaign, but there still remain many more who can join in through cleaning or simply helping to change public behaviour. “Our message to the population is to join the campaign at least for a day help Seychelles beat plastic pollution, because in the end it’s our world we are saving.

For any additional information on the campaign members of the public can contact: Flavien Joubert – Flavien.joubert@gov.sc Tel 2722 890; Brigitte Roucou – broucou@gov.sc Tel 2722 810; or Erine Victor – evictor@gov.sc 4324 334.