World Cleanup Day is the largest civic action in the world, involving over 191 countries with the aim of addressing the global waste crisis and fostering awareness among citizens.
Each year, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) organizes an event for this occasion, engaging local communities and volunteers. This year, VLPF hosted a waste monitoring and cleanup activity along the WWF Oasis Dune degli Alberoni, a Natura 2000 site and part of Venice’s natural heritage. The event was officially registered and recognized as part of WCD 2024 and was organized in collaboration with WWF Venice and Fondaco dei Tedeschi.
This coastal area of the Venetian lagoon, recognized as one of the most significant littoral biotopes of the Northern Adriatic coast, is a site for the implementation of both national and EU strategies for the conservation of nature and biodiversity. It includes Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Notably, it serves as a nesting ground for the Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), a small shorebird considered a symbol of beach biodiversity. This bird nests directly on the beach near the shoreline, in areas where the sand is dry, outside the dunes and vegetation. Activities such as monitoring and cleanup in such sensitive contexts require authorization from managing authorities and must be conducted with the support of organizations with scientific and methodological expertise, such as WWF and VLPF.
Thirty volunteers responded to VLPF’s call, joining the initiative to protect, monitor, and clean this delicate and valuable area of the Alberoni beach.
During the waste monitoring activity, which covered a 100-meter transect of the shoreline, the app developed by VLPF within the framework of the HEUROPE REMEDIES project was used. This app enables the classification of waste based on a standardized European protocol for type and size.
For the cleanup and waste removal activities, another app developed by VLPF, currently in its final development phase as part of the HEUROPE SeaClear2.0 project, was employed. This app is designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution and support the organization of manual cleanup activities with multiple volunteer groups. It incorporates gamification features and calculates the plastic footprint.
By the end of the initiative, 65 kilograms of marine waste were removed, thanks to the joint efforts of WWF and Fondaco dei Tedeschi volunteers. This action contributed to the conservation and environmental restoration of one of Venice’s most ecologically significant areas.
