The Levantina Nature Protection Association-Ecologists in Action Vinaròs (APNAL-EA) carried out a cleanup operation this past Sunday along about a thousand meters of Surrach beach in Benicarló, collecting approximately 200 kilograms of waste.

This action, part of the international campaign ‘Clean up the sea’, involved volunteers from the environmental group. They removed a wide variety of materials from the pristine beach, including plastics for various uses, fishing and agricultural debris, and even a motorcycle.

APNAL-EA highlights that the results, “as every year, remain desperate,” and reaffirm that the Mediterranean Sea and coastal areas continue to be “authentic landfills.” They emphasize that this waste severely affects biodiversity, human health, tourism, and local economic resources.

During this coastal survey, 80% of the waste found consisted of plastics in their multiple forms (bottles, jugs, containers, bags, receptacles, pipes, pots). The text warns that these materials degrade into microplastics, interfering with the food chains of all living beings.

APNAL-EA points out that the problem persists year after year, attributing the situation to a “lack of awareness among citizens, permissiveness from administrations, and a deficit in information, education, surveillance, and sensitivity.”

The environmental collective concludes that the Mediterranean Sea “remains highly polluted” and daily washes waste onto beaches, forcing the investment of “enormous amounts of public money” in coastal cleanup.