END PLASTIC SOUP
The idea behind Mare Nostrum
The Mare Nostrum - End Plastic Soup association was established by the initiative of several Rotarians from the Basel area. The pollution of the environment, especially the world's oceans, by plastic waste has reached a gigantic scale that we can no longer accept. This disaster is man-made. Therefore, we must act, and we must act quickly and effectively. Support our initiative!
LATEST NEWS
Great Success:
With the help of our members and a District Grant, the first Mare Nostrum trash collection boat "Sea Hamster" has been funded.
Spring Water for the Sea Hamster
Mare Nostrum member and hotelier Rotarian Markus Hauser was one of the first to sell spring water in his establishment for "a good cause." What initially raised questions among guests has now been adopted by many other hospitality businesses in the Engadin and is widely accepted by the guests themselves: still water can indeed have a price, even if it comes from the tap.
With the proceeds from the spring water sales, Hotel Hauser in St. Moritz has been supporting water projects worldwide for years. Mare Nostrum was grateful for a generous donation of CHF 5,000 towards the acquisition of the Sea Hamster.
Where and how we get involved
The scale is gigantic!
Every year, around 300 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide. About 11 million tons of this end up in the environment without proper control. A significant portion of plastic waste ends up in water bodies, especially in the world's oceans. Only 6% of the plastic waste in the oceans is visible. The rest sinks to the seabed, causing enormous harm to the environment. We must act quickly to stop this trend! Join us in helping!
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The recycling rates must be significantly increased!
It's not plastic as such that's the problem, but rather how we handle it. The average recycling rate for plastic produced since 1950 was only 6%. In Switzerland, this rate was only 8% in 2021 (!). In the spirit of a regenerative economy, we must reduce plastic consumption significantly in the future, keep produced plastic in circulation longer, and substantially increase the recycling rate in all areas of application. Join us in making a difference!
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Plastic consumption in Switzerland
Around one million tons of plastics are consumed annually in Switzerland, which amounts to 125 kg per person. Of this, approximately 250,000 tons remain as durable products in use for extended periods (e.g., plastic window frames). Annually, about 780,000 tons of plastic waste are generated. Over 80% of this is incinerated in waste-to-energy plants, and slightly over 6% is incinerated in cement kilns. Only 80,000 tons are recycled. Help us significantly reduce plastic consumption!
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