Murcia beach clean-up removes 95kg of rubbish from coast and seabed

Kind-hearted volunteers in the Region of Murcia have removed 95 kilogrammes of rubbish from the beaches and seabed of Santiago de la Ribera and Cartagena during an international coastal clean-up campaign. The two operations took place as part of the 12th edition of the Great International Clean-up of the Seabed and Beaches, with participants collecting discarded plastics, cigarette butts, drifting buoys, and other types of rubbish from the region’s beautiful coastal areas.

Volunteers remove 95kg of coastal rubbish

According to the Marine Watchers Network, which announced the results on Saturday, October 24, the clean-ups formed part of the wider ‘1m2 Against Litter’ campaign, promoted by the LIBERA Project.

The largest amount of waste was collected in Santiago de la Ribera, where diving clubs Mindfulness Diving and Mares Libres removed an incredible 74 kilos of rubbish. The operation followed a night of heavy rain, which had washed many cigarette butts up onto the sand. Several buoys had also been displaced by the downpour.

Heavy rain washes litter onto the Region of Murcia’s beaches

Poor weather can cause rubbish to accumulate along the coastline, making regular beach maintenance and community-led environmental initiatives particularly important. Meanwhile, diving club Cristalsub collected a further 21 kilogrammes of waste from the seabed and beach at Fatares in Cartagena.

Divers reported that the underwater area was relatively clean, with most of the rubbish concentrated on land. Together, the two operations saw 95 kilogrammes of waste removed from the Murcia coastline.

National campaign tackles litter pollution across Spain

The clean-ups were part of a nationwide effort organised through the LIBERA Project, a joint initiative between environmental organisation SEO/BirdLife and recycling organisation Ecoembes. Across Spain, the campaign resulted in more than 8.3 tonnes of rubbish being removed from coastal areas, ports, rivers and lagoons.

Apart from the direct impact of cleaning rubbish from Spain’s beautiful coastlines, the initiative also raises awareness of litter pollution and encourages people to take an active role in protecting the natural environment. For residents and visitors who enjoy Murcia’s beaches and coastal waters, the results serve as a reminder that protecting these popular outdoor spaces depends not only on organised clean-ups, but also on preventing rubbish from reaching the environment in the first place.