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article_detail
Date Published: 04/11/2021
ARCHIVED - One million cigarette butts cleared from Denia beach and recycled
Environmentalists warn that El Raset beach in the Marina Alta, Alicante province, has become a "huge ashtray"
Volunteers from Sustainable Culture Denia collected a shocking one million discarded cigarettes during a clean up at El Raset beach, warning the stretch of coastline has become a "huge ashtray".
But determined to turn a "mountain of shame" into hope, the mound of fag ends are being recycled into notepads, flowerpots and coasters.
The voluntary clear up was carried out in September and October to "once again free the sand and rocks of discarded waste", and the result was "discouraging", warns environmental action group, Sustainable Culture Denia (Cultura Sostenible Dénia).
"In just two months we collected more than one million cigarette butts, 88 facemasks, mounds of rubbish and glass, and this was only in the area between the Red Cross post and the shrubbery near the breakwater," said the organisation, adding that the huge mound of cigarette ends has been "baptised as the mountain of shame".
"El Raset has become the biggest ashtray and rubbish dump in Denia," it warned.
Concerned that "most smokers won't change their attitude", Sustainable Culture Denia decided to search for an alternative solution to avoid sea pollution, and as a result, around 5,000 of the butt ends have already been recycled and transformed into paper, flower pots, diaries, notepads, cup holders and envelopes.
The organisation is now looking for industrial premises in Denia so that it can carry out similar projects on a larger scale.
Since Cultura Sostenible began cleaning up El Raset and the dogs' section, more and more people have got involved, volunteering to clean the sands and shrubbery whilst walking their pets.
"This has meant the beach is now much cleaner than it has been in previous years, but this uncivil action of discarding cigarette ends continues to gain prominence and kill the planet."
Image: Cultura Sostenible Dénia
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