Tons of Plastic Waste Removed from Albania’s Beaches and Rivers

TIRANA, April 20

Buna River delta area is considered as one of the hidden gems of the Adriatic coast. Even though it is still untouched, the human impact can be easily noticed in the beaches covered in waste and garbage.

This was only one among the beaches where clean up actions were focused during the Earth Week April 16-22. Officers of the Armed Forces, volunteers, students, and Albanian citizens joined the actions that aimed at cleaning up beaches and river beds. The action will be completed on Sunday, April 22nd that marks the Earth Day. End Plastic pollution was the goal of Earth Day 2018 all around the world.
Waste management is a major problem in Albania. Plastic and other waste products that are not disposed of properly are transported by rivers into the Adriatic Sea. Plastic debris often washes ashore in the Albanian coast but also on the beaches of Montenegro and Croatia where it makes the headlines. May marks the official start of the tourist season in Albania and now most of the beaches are clean, yet the problem of waste management is still burning. Community volunteering clean up actions are necessary, but proper waste management is the key to cleaning up the sea.

Photo Credit: B. Klosi