Foreign residents fight against non-biodegradable waste on the coast

A group of foreign residents in Casares Costa have decided to band together to tackle the ever-increasing amounts of man-made debris on local beaches. The volunteers were concerned about the amount of seaweed that had washed up on the beach during storms at the end of last year, and also with the abundance of discarded plastic containers, cans, bottle tops, food packaging, wet wipes and other non-biodegradable debris.

Calling themselves Eco Amigos, the group, which was formed in November 2024, quickly established a Facebook page in English and Spanish, which now has over 300 members. They began with a clean-up campaign on the beach close to the old salt tower in Casares Costa, and continued with campaigns in January, and earlier this month, collecting in total almost 100 bin bags full of waste.

Along with removing non-biodegradable waste from the beaches, the group decided to prioritise areas that municipal beach cleaning machinery cannot reach, such as debris trapped in rocky or elevated areas, and drainage channels along the A7, which were “full of bottles and cans tossed out of cars”.

The group recently received a “generous donation” of 300 euros, the proceedings of a fundraising quiz held at the Rose and Thistle Pub in Duquesa last month.

“This has meant we can buy protective gloves, bin bags and sanitising hand gel so every volunteer is well-equipped. Volunteers can just show up and are given these items to help them collect debris, hygienically. The group do not just focus on removing visible beach rubbish lying on top of the sand, but adjacent drainage areas too. This debris is in real danger of being washed into the sea,” the group’s spokesperson, Melissa Vaughn told SUR in English.

In just ten weeks the volunteer numbers have increased by over 500 per cent, and include Spanish, British, Irish, American, German, French, Australian, Dutch, Mexican, Czech, Finnish and Polish residents, who, as Vaughn points out, “want to dedicate a few hours on one Sunday each month to give something back to a coast that provides them so much joy”.

Eco Amigos make every effort to recycle as much collected waste as possible, and as the group grows, they intend to expand their geographical area.

“Eco Amigos generally work for about an hour and a half, then have a well-deserved rest for a group coffee and chat afterwards. So, it’s a social event too - a great way to get out of the house, meet some new faces and do something practical to help preserve natural areas,” Vaughn explained

She also wants to attract the younger generation with the aim of teaching them about the importance of living in a sustainable and eco-friendly world.

“It’s vital to get little ones involved so they can appreciate the importance of protecting the ecology of our beautiful Costa del Sol,” she concluded.