Wellness on the beach also means breathing with full lungs, walking on clean sand, swimming in a transparent sea. But behind the apparent exoticism of certain umbrellas there is an invisible threat that ruins all this.
Plastic Free Onlus launches a strong and clear appeal: it is time to say goodbye to the Hawaiian umbrellas in synthetic raffia, still present in many Italian bathing establishments. They seem harmless, even decorative, but with the passage of time they release plastic filaments that disperse in the sand and at sea, seriously damaging the coastal ecosystem.
Marine currents transport these residues to the submerged vegetation, with serious consequences for the fauna, which often ingest them by exchanging them for food.
It is a problem that we can no longer allow us to ignore – Luca De Gaetano, president and founder of Plastic Free Onlus – denounces these umbrellas, made with polluting materials such as synthetic raffia, polyamide and viscose, represent a silent but constant danger for our seas. It is time to act, sensitizing citizens and administrations to say enough.
The organization, which has always been active in the fight against plastic and in the defense of the environment, has started a new campaign aimed at coastal municipalities to introduce ordinances that prohibit the use of these polluting umbrellas, inviting the bathing establishments to opt for ecological and sustainable solutions.
At the same time, Plastic Free has launched an information campaign on its social channels and promoted a petition to collect the support of citizens. The goal is to build a common front against a type of pollution as subtle as it is harmful.
Here you can sign the petition to make the umbrellas in synthetic raffia ban.
