With this outreach and environmental education action, which will be carried out by the Bachelor of Marine Sciences and Marine Pollution Research, Noelia Estévez, the Monte Real seeks to raise awareness of the importance of moving towards a more sustainable consumption model, recycling plastics and not throwing them anywhere, affecting the harmful effects that plastic has on the environment

On Saturday, November 17, Baiona hosted the "I Workshop to raise environmental awareness of the impact of plastic on the marine environment. Following the print of plastic," an initiative promoted by the Monte Real Club de Yates in collaboration with the University of Vigo and the municipality of Baiona, in which companies such as ABANCA and Gadis are also involved.

This is an educational day in which children in the municipality aged 7 to 18 can recognize the impact that plastics have on the environment, paying particular attention to the damage they cause to marine ecosystems, and various actions to minimize their impact.

At present, only 9 per cent of the plastic produced is recycled, 12 per cent is incinerated and the remaining 79 per cent will go to landfills or directly to the environment. There are more than 230,000 tons of plastic waste floating on the surface of the different seas of the world and, although more and more are being studied, the full impact of microplastics that are not visible to the naked eye is still unknown.

To shed light on this problem and try to raise awareness of future generations, Monte Real programmed different activities in different locations of the municipality. A first part, more theoretical, will include a presentation of the theme in the Baion club's facilities. The small ones will be explained the types of plastics that exist, their production, the routes of entry of waste into rivers, seas and oceans, and their impact on the planet.

In the second part of the workshop, the children will move to the beaches of A Barbeira and A Ribeira, two of the most central and busy herring in the municipality of Baionés, to participate in a practical session of identification and collection of waste. The aim is that they can be able to recognize and classify macroplastics, which will then be deposited in recycling containers.

The activity will also include the search for microplastics, for which laboratory materials given by the University of Vigo will be used as tresses and binoculars, as most microplastics are not seen at all.

The "I Workshop on Environmental Awareness of the Impact of Plastic on the Marine Environment. After the plastic print" will end in the facilities of the Monte Real Club de Yates with an ecological and sustainable food, free of plastics, as an example of healthy and environment-friendly living habits. It will explain the need to change plastic bags for reusable ones, avoid transparent film wrappers and trays in which food usually comes, do not use vessels, plastics and plastic covers, or choose reportable bottles and containers.