In collaboration with WWF and as part of the European project Remedies and the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free organized, on the 21st of April, a day dedicated to monitoring and cleaning up at the Alberoni beach of the Lido di Venezia.
Volunteers dedicated their day to removing waste from the beach, contributing to its monitoring.
Indeed, this initiative is part of a series of beach litter monitoring events and clean-ups aimed at improving the REMEDIES beach litter monitoring app and fostering positive change and marking a significant step in the fight against marine waste through innovative technologies and a shared methodology.
As for the previous events, an innovative app developed in collaboration between Venice Lagoon Plastic Free and Infordata Sistemi Srl was utilized. This app is an important upgrade of the MAELSTROM app that promises to transform how we collect and report on plastic’s presence in marine ecosystems, providing precise and instant data collected following strict standard protocols for beach litter analysis and classification.
The results of the beach waste monitoring were significant, with a total of 889 items collected. Among these, 266 fragments of foamed polystyrene, 81 cotton buds, 72 fishing nets, 62 plastic caps, and 59 other plastic fragments were identified.
These numbers underscore the importance of continuing to address the issue of plastic pollution and adopting more sustainable behaviors to protect our marine environment.
Thanks to the activities of Venice Lagoon Plastic Free, we are proud to contribute to a seasonal mapping of our coastal areas, comparing new and already acquired data for a more sustainable future for Venice and its lagoon.