Zakaki Marsh Cleanup Report

Zakaki Marsh Cleanup Report

Thank you to everyone who participated at our beach cleanup on Sunday, November 18th, 2018 at Zakaki Marsh. Also, thank you to BirdLife Cyprus and Choice FM for helping to organize the event. At the cleanup, there was a total of 67 amazing, multicultural volunteers ranging from age 2-68 that came from all areas of Cyprus and put in their efforts to help us clean around the Marsh.

In just 3 hours of cleaning, we managed to collect over 160 bags full of trash and recyclable materials:

  • 82 full bags of trash
  • 81 full bags of recyclable materials – 9 bags of which were filled with aluminum cans that we donated to Cans for Kids charity. These cans will be recycled, and the recycling funds will be used to purchase medical equipment for the Makarios Hospital children’s wards.

In addition to:

  • 73 car tires
  • 3 couches
  • 1 toilet
  • 1 carton full of unused shot gun cartridges (which were handed over to the SBA police).

As you can see, Zakaki Marsh is being used as a dumping ground, and what we collected is not even half of the trash that’s actually there. Zakaki Marsh is located on the road leading the way to Lady’s Mile Beach and is the remnant of a once larger wetland. The area is especially important during winter and spring migration and one can see many water birds such as herons, wintering ducks, and waders. The site is also one of the few where the Ferruginous Duck, a species of global conservation concern, breeds.

Not only is the litter unsightly and dangerous to humans, but it also affects birds. From poisoning, digestive blockage, injuries, plumage disruption, habitat loss, and attracting predators – – Thousands of birds die each year because of littering effects. Luckily, just a few small steps can help protect them:

Reduce your waste

The less waste we produce, the less there will be to harm them.

For ideas on how to reduce your waste, be sure to check out our online Eco Shop of LET’S MAKE CYPRUS GREEN environmentally friendly products. Choose Let’s Make Cyprus Green for all your eco-product shopping to support our cause and local green economy.

Pick it up!

If you see a piece of litter, pick it up. One small piece of litter may not seem like much, but it has the possibility to do a lot of harm.

 Click here to read how plastics are harming the environment, and how you can help.

Dispose of your trash properly while setting good examples

Be a good role model for others. If you see a bin that’s overflowing with trash, don’t add to the pile. Hold onto your trash until you find a place where you can properly dispose of it.

 Click here for more Green Tips.

This cleanup was our first action for the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) which is from November 17- 25th. EWWR targets the problem of too much waste being produced in Europe. The high quantity of waste produced every year in Europe impedes the achievement of sustainable development goals. Waste has a huge impact on the environment as it causes significant losses of materials, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Waste prevention and proper waste management are key elements in ensuring resource efficiency and the sustainable growth of European economies. 

EWWR may focus on tackling the waste crisis for one week, but we are committed to eliminating waste on the island every day, 7 days a week. If you’d like to get involved with our actions, please contact us to become a member, or make a donation, no matter how big or small, to help us continue our mission to make a Cyprus “green”. Let’s Make Cyprus Green is not a funded cause. It has been funded from our personal pockets and wonderful people like you who share our passion. If you would like to contribute, you can do so by clicking here.

As a continuation of our initiative for the EWWR campaign, we will be having a documentary night on Saturday, November 24th. To help people better understand the severity of plastic pollution, we will be showing the film “A Plastic Ocean”. The film will be in English with Greek subtitles, and complimentary refreshments will be provided. More information can be found here.

After Cleanup Report

Once we finished cleaning we headed over to the Zakaki bird hide for some birdwatching. Thank you again to BirdLife Cyprus for providing the telescopes, binoculars, as well as the wonderful information material. 

After collecting a total of 73 car tires. 18 additional tires were dumped at Zakaki Marsh after our cleanup. Please keep your eyes open for any illegal dumping! To make a report be sure to get the registration number of the vehicle and contact your local municipality and the Department of Environment.

One thought on “Zakaki Marsh Cleanup Report

  1. We had a good time with you, helping with the clean up and will be sure to get involved again. You say that the age range was 2 – 68. My wife is 77 and also enjoyed meeting you all and doing something useful.

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