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Every day is the right day to re-propose #PlasticFreeMed, the MEDSEA Foundation's campaign to clean the seabed and beaches of anthropogenic waste. The aim of the clean-up initiatives is to raise public awareness of the problem of pollution of the Mediterranean coasts.

A commitment sealed with the partnership between MEDSEA and the U.S. Parley for the Oceans Foundation on the occasion of "Puliamo la Sella", a day of cleaning of the Poetto beach and Sella del Diavolo site on July 1, 2018. On that occasion, many joined the initiative: the Municipality of Cagliari, which provided the bags for the collection and logistical support for the collection of waste; the school of kayaking A.S.D'Aquila by Carlo Coni, a Sardinian kayak athlete who circumnavigated Sardinia; the Sailing Centre of Samuele Nonnis (supply of canoes and sup); the Break Point Surf School (supply of SUP); the Cooperativa Golfo degli Angeli TBC (support pedal boat), the Associazione Cani Salvataggio Sardegna (rescue dogs who brought the waste to the beach towing the support dinghy); Eja Tv, media partner. 

The presence of many volunteers and the participation of partners in the event "Puliamo la Sella" are a tangible sign of greater awareness of a problem of increasing proportions. In the Mediterranean, the accumulation of waste of human origin such as plastic, glass, wood, rubber and various residues is an environmental emergency. According to the Beach Litter survey conducted in 2017 by Legambiente, over 41,000 pieces of waste were found, for an average of 670 pieces of waste per 100 linear metres of beach. Plastic is confirmed as the most found material (84% of the objects found), followed by glass/ceramic (4.4%), metal (4%), paper and cardboard (3%). PHOTO Not only the beaches, but also the seabed of Sardinia, are likely to be suffocated by plastic: according to research by marine biologist Andrea Alvito on behalf of the University of Cagliari, published in the prestigious British scientific journal Waste Management, around the island there are 59 waste for every square kilometer. With reference to floating waste, however, the Capo

Carbonara Marine Protected Area, as part of the MEDSEALITTER project, conducted between 2015 and 2017 in collaboration with the CNR of Oristano and ISPRA, found the presence of an abundant amount of floating waste: 1061 objects were found, most of them made of plastic (91%), mainly bags and bottles (the author of the research is also the member of MEDSEA, Francesca Frau, Marine Biologist). 

The emergency requires increased efforts and opportunities to raise awareness, also with the involvement of schools. In the pipeline the initiatives, as part of the calendar of the World Wetlands Day of February 2, 2019, which will continue beyond the date dedicated to wetlands