BEACH CLEANUP
Removing ocean plastic from the coast of Vilankulo year-round
Since 2018, 25 volunteers have been cleared 17 kilometers of beach along the coast of Vilankulo on a weekly basis. They have cleared over 35 tons of waste. One third of the plastic collected by the community is recycled, and 100% is properly disposed of, ensuring it stays out of the ocean for good.
The first volunteers came together in 2018 and found support from local hotels. When the COVID pandemic hit, the tourism industry was heavily impacted. During this time, the ParCo team was supported to continue their work through short term grants. For 2023, funding came from crowdfunding on the Global Giving platform and ongoing support from Bahia Mar and Santorini Hotels. For 2024, we hope to find long term partnership.
Project costs include the fuel we use to transport bags of collected plastic from the coast to the ParCo headquarters for sorting as well as admin costs to maintain and operate the plastic center.
Beach Cleanup pitch from 2022.
2019 interview with Ilidio Cole about the origin of Beach Cleanup.
A special cleanup in the Bazaruto Archipelago with Xico Gaivota who made sculptures from the ocean plastic for an exhibit/fundraiser for ParCo in 2018.
