Xàbia schoolchildren collect more than 1,000 cigarette butts from La Grava beach in just one hour

Tuesday 4th April 2023
Mike Smith

The Club Náutico Jávea, the Fundación Ecomar and Coca Cola through its Circular Seas project, came together to organize a day to clean the coast that surrounds the Duanes neighborhood, an activity that combines awareness-raising on the part of the foundation’s technicians as well as the civic action of voluntary cleaning, carried out by about 80 students from CEIP Port de Xàbia.

The day began with the gathering of schoolchildren from the Duanes neighborhood school at the Sailing School facilities of Club Náutico de Jávea to listen to a short talk by staff from the Fundación Ecomar about the importance of recycling at home, of depositing each piece of waste in the correct container and that it is the little ones who should not only set an example at home, but also when going to the beach and not leaving the waste but saving it to throw it into the containers when they return home.

Later, accompanied by the staff of the Fundación and the Sailing School and their teachers, the schoolchildren divided between the two breakwaters of the port, and La Grava beach to collect the waste that had been thrown in the area. Among the stuff collected were more than 1,000 cigarette butts and another 64 kilos of other rubbish that was separated and deposited in nearby containers by the staff of the Sailing School.

After the weigh-in, the schoolchildren (from grades 3, 4 and 5 of primary school) received several gifts, the Fundación Ecomar logbook, a 100% recyclable Coca Cola bag and a bottle of sun cream.

Finally, everyone was able to get closer to one of the patrol boats of the Maritime Service of the Provincial Command of Alicante, which was docked at the fishing pier. The students got on board the surveillance boat and learned what its role is in maritime surveillance.