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Zygi volunteer coastal clean up

27/09/2021 15:00
  • Initiative to mark the occasion of World Maritime Day

Hellenic Bank staff demonstrated another selfless act matched with enthusiasm, and organises a voluntary clean-up of the Zygi coastline, on Saturday, 25 September2021. Volunteers contributed in the effort being made to raise awareness on environmental issues and maintain the beautiful, clean beaches our island boasts, without garbage.

The event was part of the Bank’s volunteering programme, linked to its sustainability strategy, concerning environmental issues. The Hellenic Bank Volunteer Team has once again stepped up to support an important initiative aimed at environmental restoration and sustainable development, cleaning up 60 kg of garbage from the beach.

Hellenic Bank’s Volunteer Team organised the initiative to mark the occasion of World Maritime Day and reinforce efforts being made to achieve the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs*).

The event was carried out under the auspices of the Shipping Deputy Minister to the President and the Environment Commissioner.

"Cleaning our coasts is a collective duty in the joint effort to protect the environment and cultivate environmental awareness and culture. The Ministry of Shipping encourages and welcomes voluntary activities, especially when these contribute to the improvement and protection of our marine ecosystem. Congratulations to CYMEPA for taking up such initiatives on a regular basis, to the Environment Commissioner, to the Zygi Community, to the AKTI Project and Research Centre for their participation and to Hellenic Bank for their support and Corporate Social Responsibility”, Vassilis Demetriades, the Shipping Deputy Minister stated during the event.

During the event, participants had the opportunity to learn how to have a positive impact and protect marine life, as well as more info regarding the recent EU directive on single use plastics and to help clean up Zygi’s coastline. Along with a representative from CYMEPA they had to opportunity to dive deeper into marine science and assist in carrying out a content analysis of the waste and litter collected on the beach, in order to calculate the percentage of marine debris.

Awareness-raising initiatives like this one are part of the Global Week to #ACT4SDGs aiming to mobilise millions of actions to #TURNITAROUND by inspiring collective SDG* action.