Blue Crowdfunding, First Civic Fundraiser to Clean the Sea from Plastics

Freeing the sea from the huge amount of plastic waste that endangers the marine ecosystem, so as to ensure the healthiness of the water, the protection of the fish chain, and the food chain. These are the objectives of Blue Crowdfunding, the first civic project of fundraising (crowdfunding) applied to the Blue Economy.

The initiative was illustrated at Palazzo Raffaello, by the administrator of Svim – Development Agency of the Marche Region, Gianluca Carrabs, by the vice-president of the Regional Council Mirco Carloni, by the Ceo of Garbage Group and owner of the ecological waste collection boat Pelikan, Paolo Baldoni, together with two exceptional testimonials: the actor and writer Giobbe Covatta, together with the star chef Moreno Cedroni, owner of the restaurants Madonnina del pescatore, Clandestino and Anikò.

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The sea must be taken care of at a global scale

Plastic, from being “the most extraordinary invention of all time, has turned out to be a tragedy” underlined the testimonial Giobbe Covatta, who stressed the need to find a solution to the problem with interventions that must necessarily be “calibrated” on a global scale.

“We have no more time and space – he said -, we are the last generation able to intervene on these issues”. His speech, in which there was no lack of ironic jokes, was able to convey in a positive way, the urgency to intervene: “We eat a credit card a week,” he said, as a reminder that waste inevitably becomes part of the food chain. He also pointed out that only 30% of the plastic used can be recycled, and that it is necessary to act not only on the disposal of plastic waste in rivers, lakes, and seas but also on the production, in order to reach a solution to the problem.

Lastly, the comedian exchanged jokes with Michelin-starred chef Moreno Cedroni, to whom he said he had “accepted to be a testimonial of the initiative in order to eat in his restaurant”, while Cedroni explained that Covatta represents “an incredible guarantee of credibility” and the comedian could not help but point out the pun.

The starred chef pointed out that “wellness has created rudeness” and that it is necessary to reduce the consumption of plastic and polluting waste. Entering into the merits of his activity, he announced he is thinking about a dish dedicated to the project, the idea is that of a “risotto with sea waste”, this could be the name.

Councilor and vice-president of the Regional Council Mirco Carloni, in video link-up, underlined the importance of the initiative to which the Marche Region has reserved 250 thousand Euros of resources for technical assistance. The Svim administrator Gianluca Carrabs explained that the interregional project involves 9 European countries, including Italy, which is present with two regions: in addition to Marche, there is also Campania. He also reminded that plastics from the sea end up on the table, entering the human food chain, so much so that a study by the Polytechnic University of Marche has shown the presence of microplastics in the female placenta.

“Every week we eat 5 grams of plastic,” he said, emphasizing the urgency of an intervention, which will be implemented as part of the initiative by the Garbage Group, the Ancona-based company leader in the collection, recovery and disposal of waste present in the water mirrors. The Pelikan, the “garbage-eating” boat that will use drones to intercept the presence of garbage in the water and task-forces of volunteers and professionals to clean the sea and the beaches, will be the one to carry out the clean-up.

Paolo Baldoni, CEO of Garbage Group, has retraced the main stages of the company founded in 1958 by two families from Ancona, which has developed the Pelikan system for cleaning lakes and rivers, where 80% of plastic waste is produced, as well as the sea. Moreover, it has announced the arrival of the first hybrid boat for water cleaning in spring 2022, in agreement with Enel, so as to guarantee zero impact on the environment and which will also make use of underwater rovers. In short, jewels of technology made in Marche.

Explaining the project, Baldoni pointed out that the CNR will control the pollution currently present in the Marche sea, monitoring that will be repeated after the reclamation, “to see how much the pollution has decreased”. They will be “surgical interventions, precise, conducted in areas of great fragility” including the Riviera del Conero, the coast and the port of Fano and Civitanova Marche, and the coast of Senigallia. However, the aim is to extend the initiative to the entire Marche marine area and all ports.

Waste that once collected can be used to produce clean energy to power the batteries of boats, or that can be part of the circular economy. The goal of the fundraiser is to reach $47,000 (€40,000) to ensure the cleanliness of the sea, beaches, and ports.

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(Featured image by Pexels via Pixabay)

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First published in CentroPagina, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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