This weekend there will be people going to the beach to do more than just enjoy the sun and the sea. On Sunday (25/9), a cleaning effort will be on the waterfront of Ipanema, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), to keep the area clean and raise awareness in society about the problem of irregular solid waste disposal.
To participate, simply show up at 9am at La Carioca en La Playa, the first kiosk certified as Zero Waste, located in front of Rua Afrânio de Melo Franco, in Leblon. From there, the volunteers will head towards station 10, collecting the rubbish found along the way. There is no need to bring anything: all necessary instructions and materials will be provided on the day by the event organizers.
World Cleaning Day is promoted by Recycle Orla, project sustainability from the Pollen It is Orla Rio, and the project River Islands, with support from iFood and partner brands. The initiative has the support of the Botafogo unit of Yo! Japa, Burgers Rio, The Box Sushi Ipanema, Corona beer, Natura Kaiak and Rei e Rainha do Mar. Some partner institutions of Recicla Orla and Ilhas do Rio, such as Rexponsa Institute, also participate..
In addition to volunteers for the cleaning effort, a team of researchers and divers from the Ilhas do Rio Project, in partnership with ICMBio, will embark towards the Cagarras Islands Natural Monument, with the aim of collecting aquatic waste in the area.
Since the action began, in June 2021, more than 11 thousand volunteers participated in the 18 cleaning efforts that were carried out in partnership with iFood — and took more than 10 tons of recyclable materials removed from the sands of Rio beaches to the correct destination. Everything collected is recycled, avoiding incorrect disposal and returning the material to the production cycle for new use.
Why is the joint effort important?
According to one study carried out by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if nothing is done, by 2050 the oceans will have more plastic than fish. One of the ways to prevent trash from reaching the bottom of the sea is to clean the beach.
And it's not just marine life that is at risk from the improper disposal of trash in the oceans. The plastic left around is subjected to the action of water, wind, sun and microorganisms and transforms into microparticles that spread throughout the world – even into our bodies. They are called microplastics, potentially harmful to the health of living beings.
The president of Orla Rio, João Marcello, highlights the importance of the initiative beyond cleaning the beaches: “it is very important that we carry out actions like this, raising awareness and promoting environmental education and instructing the population on the correct disposal of waste. Three years ago, Orla Rio and Pólen created the Recicla Orla project and, with the support of iFood, we reached 56 voluntary delivery points spread across the entire south zone. We all have a duty to take care of our beaches. After all, a sustainable attitude, no matter how small, builds the whole and makes the planet a better place to live”, he explains.
For iFood, being part of the movement makes perfect sense, as the Environment Manager details: “We want to make a positive impact on the environment and one of the ways is to reduce plastic. We are seeking sustainable solutions for delivery packaging with relevant market partners and have already managed to reduce the sending of single-use plastic items in iFood orders. Recycling is another fundamental pillar in which we work to ensure the circularity of the material”.
Since June 2021, the iFood app has given customers the option to do not need to send plastic forks, spoons, knives and straws when placing the order. And the results are already appearing: since then, more than 200 million orders have been delivered without these single-use plastic items, which translates into 510 fewer tons of plastic circulating. This is one of the company's actions to eliminate plastic pollution in its operations until 2025.
Service:
Ipanema beach cleaning effort
Date: 25/09 (Sunday)
Time: 9am
Location: La Carioca Kiosk – Leblon, in front of Afrânio de Melo Franco and Ilhas Cagarras streets.
