The Kuwait Environment Protection Society organized a beach cleanup campaign in the Salmiya area in cooperation with sixty young men and women of different nationalities, who were part of a volunteer team from the ”Café Cafe” chain and the “Prism Adventures” team for organizing adventures, in a symbolic gesture that promotes community awareness participation for the Society’s “Beach Safari” program.
Nawaf Al-Muwail, a member of the association and coordinator of the Beach Safari program, confirmed that the beach cleaning operation is part of the field phases of the Beach Safari program, during which sixty young male and female volunteers, representing the “Kaf” restaurant chain and the “Prism Adventures” adventure organizing team, carried out the beach survey operation to get rid of waste and debris in order to preserve and protect the cleanliness of this beach, which is crowded with visitors of different nationalities. He added that this is consistent with the axes of the «Beach Safari» program, which, in addition to the community awareness axis, includes field trips that document the living and non-living components of Kuwaiti beaches and care for and preserve them through activities and events with specialists and volunteers in the environmental field, as well as a group of seminars, lectures, and executive and applied workshops.
Al-Muwail explained that «the program includes in its activities raising awareness of the importance of beaches and monitoring them, in addition to plans for managing coasts and scientific reports on this matter. Perhaps the most prominent of the association’s efforts in this regard is what it has put in place of parallel programs whose activities meet in the crucible of the desired results by spreading correct awareness through publication in print, visual and audio media and through social media, as well as school awareness in the morning assembly, visual presentations, scientific lectures, workshops and student visits to the association’s headquarters to participate in environmental programs and days and to external environmental sites, coasts, beaches and reserves.» He added that the program is concerned with community awareness through participation in specialized exhibitions and conferences with awareness publications and publishing the recommendations of surveys in the media and organizing community events at the association’s headquarters and other entities, while expanding community participation of all ages.
He pointed out that such youth and volunteer campaigns contribute to raising environmental citizenship and educating young people about the importance of combating the causes of pollution in the world, which directly affects the quality of public facilities and the natural environment. He explained that the Beach Safari program focuses, through its campaign against plastic waste, on reducing the use of non-recyclable or non-biodegradable plastic, which causes pollution resulting from the end of that waste in the environment.
A member of the Environment Society stated, “Our plastic waste is spreading on land and sea, and no one knows how long it will take to disappear, but at least hundreds of years. The damage this waste inflicts on biodiversity cannot be ignored, as many marine creatures cannot distinguish between common plastics and food.” He added, “Animals that eat plastic often starve because they cannot digest it, and it fills their stomachs, preventing them from eating real food. Just by looking at the amount of plastic produced by each individual, one can see how much can be avoided and eliminated with simple steps by changing daily habits. Solid plastic waste in Kuwait represents 13.4% of total waste, equivalent to about 15,000 tons of plastic per year.”.
He emphasized that “we must not overlook microplastics, this newly coined term that has gained widespread popularity. It refers to tiny plastic particles with a diameter of less than 5 millimeters, originating from various plastic sources.” He further noted, ”We use single-use plastics for almost everything, from cleaning product containers and plastic cups to some food storage bags and supermarket bags. One of the characteristics of this type of plastic is its ability to persist in the environment for many years, even hundreds of years.” He added, “The challenge today is not to eliminate plastic entirely, but rather to find safer alternatives and reduce its use wherever possible. Many propose solutions such as recycling or biodegradable materials, but in all cases, they have similar outcomes. Ultimately, it remains a non-reusable material, destined for landfills if it ever reaches them and isn't lost in the natural waste chain.”.
Nawaf Al-Muwaile pointed out that “waste that reaches the seas is transboundary, and poor solid waste management means it reaches the surrounding environment, potentially traveling long distances and extending its lifespan elsewhere.” He added that “marine waste poses environmental, economic, health, and cultural threats, including the degradation of marine and coastal habitats and ecosystems, resulting in socio-economic losses in the marine sector. Cooperation requires the participation of all stakeholders across all sectors and civil society to overcome the current consumption, disposal, and treatment of marine waste at its source and at sea.” He emphasized that “we need legislation that mandates the gradual elimination of plastic and its replacement with environmentally friendly alternatives. We are not proposing a complete ban on plastic, as some plastic materials are essential or difficult to replace.” He explained that “in such a campaign, the goals are interconnected to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and stopping the unnecessary use of plastic in products and goods addresses one of the biggest challenges we face in implementing Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, 14, and 15 (Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Life Below Water, and Life on Land).”.
