Over 800 pieces of confetti and other debris were collected during a recent beach cleanup at Sirens Beach in Ayia Thekla.
The cleanup, organised by the Green Party Youth, the Cyprus Ecological Movement, the Centre for Social Innovation, and RESET Cy, saw volunteers collect 50.7 kilograms of trash in just one hour.
Despite the beach’s seemingly clean appearance and low tourist traffic, 89.3% of the collected waste was plastic, primarily confetti, plastic flowers, tulle from wedding decorations, and cigarette butts.
In a press release on Wednesday, Natasa Ioannou, Secretary General of the Ecological Movement, stressed the recurring issue of wedding-related pollution on this beach.
“Wedding celebrations on beaches are not condemnable, but clear and strict guidelines should be given to organisers, and a ban on the use of confetti on beaches should be implemented, as our data shows that it is the main polluter,” she said.
The cleanup organisers thanked the volunteers for their participation and announced the next cleanup event, scheduled for Sunday, August 28 at Lady’s Mile in Limassol.
