How do you love the sea? Just don't dirty it.

03There is only one way, simple, strong and clear, to love the sea: don't dirty it. Which means not wasting its natural habitat, its delicate balance, with our waste, capable only of sowing pollution and destruction. It's not difficult: just avoid polluting the sea when you're on the beach, under an umbrella, or when sailing, regardless of the size of the vessel you're on. And all you need to do is be aware that at sea, as we'll see, there is no organic or non-organic waste. Anything can do harm.

HOW TO LOVE THE SEA

A false literature might encourage you to distinguish man-made garbage from the sea, in two categories: that which once it ends up in the water does not generate problems (food waste, or fruit and vegetable residue) and that which certainly pollutes (any object of plastic bags or paper). It is not so. Nature has provided the sea with its own autochthonous and autonomous balance: flora and fauna live in symbiosis and certainly do not need our waste to feed themselves.

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WHAT CAN BE THROWN INTO THE SEA?

To the question "What can be thrown into the sea?“, the answer is very short: nothing. With the'only exception, if we really want to predict it, of the breadcrumbsCrumbs, no more. In fact, leftover bread for the fish They can become dangerous for two reasons. They can obstruct the esophagus and, in this case, become fatal. And in any case, fish don't have the enzymes that allow them to absorb and digest the starch contained in bread, pasta, rice, and cereals. So with bread, you're giving the fish something they'll have a hard time absorbing without it. a risky stress.

HOW NOT TO POLLUTE THE SEA

What we said about bread applies even more to other food waste. Fruits and vegetables, for example, are food scraps that fish don't like: they're not part of their diet. And meanwhile, an apple core needs a time cycle of at least two months to decompose. To avoid polluting the sea, wherever we are, under an umbrella, or on a boatWe simply need to make our own little garbage can. A bag in which to put all the organic waste, which then goes into the appropriate bin on the ground.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF PLASTIC IN THE SEA

Each of us, according to the rule that nothing is thrown into the sea, can contribute to solving the problem of marine plastic pollution. Or at least to reduce its extent. How? First of all, use less of it. For example, carry water in thermoses, which also keep it cool, or in water bottlesAvoid plastic bottles. Eliminate all plastic food. Leave no trace of your plastic waste, even small objects that quickly become microplastics in the water. The same goes for paper: a simple tissue takes at least four weeks to disappear. Not to mention the deadly waste from smokers: butt It sheds in 6 to 12 months, but the filter survives for 5 to 12 years.

MARINE WASTE: WHAT TO KEEP ON BOARD

Every marine vessel, even the smallest boat, must have its own garbage bin. This is to prevent the temptation to throw anything into the sea, even if only to cause environmental damage. One of the materials most frequently found on boats isengine oilA huge waste. The oil from a 15-horsepower engine, once it ends up in the sea, pollutes an area equivalent to 5 square meters of water. As for food and any other type of waste, organic or non-organic, the advice is always the same: small bags, separated, to contain the waste generated on board during navigation. Then, it can be dumped ashore in the appropriate place.

WASTE SEPARATELY UNDER THE UMBRELLA

Let's say it without shame: under the umbrella we have little desire to do the collectionYet this is precisely where waste and environmental damage arise, as there are a number of objects we use frequently and then don't know how to dispose of. For food scraps, the situation is simple, and the same rules apply as we saw for marine litter. Separate bags for the various types of waste (watch out for glass: on the beach, it's dangerous if it breaks, due to the invisible splinters it leaves), and then leave them on the ground in the appropriate places. Then there are the more frequently used items, such as sun creamsBottles and tubes go in the plastic bin, spray cans or cans in the unsorted waste. Masks, mattresses, fins: these are all waste that should be sent to the unsorted waste bins. And what about ice cream? Once you're finished, separate the wrapper from the stick. The former goes in the plastic bin, the latter in the unsorted waste.

OTHER INITIATIVES TO PROTECT BEACHES:

• Beach patrol officers recruited through crowdfunding. They're fighting illegal activities and stopping those who pollute the sea.
• Clean beaches, we can all do something. And it doesn't take much: here's the guide (photo)
• Cigarettes on the beach, this is how Paola collects thousands of butts every day. Let's do the same!