Success of the Ecomar-Eopolis Foundation campaign in 2016, carried out in 64 nautical clubs and sailing schools

The students and partners of the 64 nautical clubs and sailing schools participating in the 'Put the batteries and recycle' campaign, carried out by Ecopilas and the ECOMAR Foundation, have collected 1,100 kilos of batteries this summer. This figure is 10% more than in the same period of 2015. For the second consecutive year, Ecopilas and the Ecomar Foundation have launched this environmental awareness campaign, which promotes the protection of Spanish coasts through the recycling of domestic batteries. For this purpose, Ecopilas installed containers for these waste in the 64 nautical clubs, sailing schools, marinas and other centers dedicated to the nautical in all of Spain attached to the program of environmental education Grímpola Ecomar. For children aged 7 to 14, Grímpola Ecomar completes the nautical activities with training workshops in respect of the environment and healthy living habits, such as recycling.

The campaign has also included the holding of the second edition of the "Put the batteries and recycle" contest, which has awarded the three clubs that have placed the most batteries in the Ecopilas compilators from 1 July to 31 August. This edition, the winning center has been the Royal Nautical Club of Algeciras that has collected 154 kilos of batteries. Theresa Zabell, president of the ECOMAR Foundation, and José Pérez, president of the Ecopilas Foundation, today awarded the award to the president of the Gaditano club, Juan Ureta Perez. The event was also attended by the club's Vice President, Francisco Suárez Watcher, the Technical Director, Ricardo Jiménez and the directors Carlos de las Rivas and Mercedes Barea. Francisco Javier Rodríguez Ros, Deputy Mayor of Sports and Laura Ruíz Gutiérrez, Council of the Environment, attended the city of Algeciras. The second and third awards have been held at the Real Club Náutico de Palma and the Escuela de Vela Cataventos de Corcubión (La Coruña) for contributing to the recycling of 137 and 124 kilos of batteries, respectively.

According to Theresa Zabell, president of the ECOMAR Foundation, "Very happy for the outcome of this year, which shows that if we" get the batteries "we will make our planet much more sustainable. The work of Ecopilas is commendable and with the help of all we will be able to end the bad waste at sea." José Pérez, President of Ecopilas, said that "this extraordinary result confirms that contact with the sea and our coasts is an ideal means of raising awareness of the importance of protecting our environment from any environmental impact, as well as the strong commitment of citizens to incorporate the recycling of batteries into our daily habits." Finally, according to Juan Ureta, president of the Royal Nautical Club of Algeciras, "our task is to teach the younger people to face the sea and to solve for themselves situations that will in the long run be useful to them in their personal and professional life. Thanks to this' ecological Olympics' of the Ecomar and Ecopilas Foundation, we also teach them that not everything in life is to compete and we must be supportive." It should be noted that Ecopilas, belonging to the Recyclia environmental platform, collected 2,522 tons of batteries throughout Spain in 2015, the equivalent of 45% of those placed on the market by manufacturers that year. To reach this figure, the foundation has the largest collection point network in our country, with 32,769 collectors deployed.