Beyond the Beach”: Thessaloniki brought together volunteering, awareness and reuse to protect the sea
Two-day European Climate Pact initiative in Aretsou and at the Reuse and Circular Economy Centre (SKG Makers), marking World Cleanup Day and the European #EUBeachCleanup 2026 campaign
With the participation of 37 citizens, Thessaloniki hosted the two-day “Beyond the Beach” initiative, organised as part of the European Climate Pact, combining a voluntary beach clean-up with awareness-raising on marine pollution and a hands-on plastic reuse workshop.
The European Climate Pact is a European initiative that encourages citizens, organisations and stakeholders to take climate action, share knowledge and experiences, and contribute to the green transition. In this context, “Beyond the Beach” gave participants the opportunity to move from awareness to action through a range of activities taking place over two days.
The initiative was held to mark World Cleanup Day and as part of the European Commission’s #EUBeachCleanup 2026 campaign, which focuses on protecting the seas from plastic pollution.
From the beach to action
On Saturday afternoon, participants gathered at Aretsou in Kalamaria, where a voluntary beach clean-up took place, resulting in the collection of more than 100 kg of waste. People of different ages took part, with children making up the majority of participants and playing a particularly active role in the effort to protect the marine environment. The beach thus became the starting point for a broader discussion on plastic pollution and the need for active citizen participation.
“Protecting the sea is not the responsibility of experts or institutions alone. It also starts with our everyday choices and with our participation in actions that can make a difference in practice. With ‘Beyond the Beach’, we wanted to show that a beach clean-up can become the starting point for greater awareness, cooperation and a change in the way we view and manage plastics,” said Vicky Drouga, European Climate Pact Ambassador.
On Sunday, the initiative moved to the Reuse and Circular Economy Centre (SKG Makers), where participants had the opportunity to learn about the life cycle of plastics and microplastics, the different types of plastic, and the proper sorting of recyclable and non-recyclable materials through presentations, videos and discussion with the speakers.
The awareness-raising session was followed by an interactive plastic reuse workshop. Participants observed and took part in the creation of commemorative medals made from recycled plastic, using a mould specially designed for the European Climate Pact. At the end of the activity, each participant received a commemorative medal made from reused plastic as a symbolic gift.
“The European Climate Pact creates opportunities for citizens to learn, participate and take climate action themselves. ‘Beyond the Beach’ demonstrates in practice that tackling plastic pollution does not stop with collecting waste. Proper sorting, reuse and finding new ways to make use of plastics can help reduce waste and change the way we perceive a material that we often consider useless. Even a small local initiative can become a starting point for greater knowledge, participation and meaningful change in our everyday lives,” said Panoulis Kalaitzis, European Climate Pact Ambassador.
A message that goes beyond the beach
“Beyond the Beach” highlighted that tackling marine pollution does not end with cleaning up a beach. Understanding the life cycle of plastics, proper waste management and sorting, reuse and, above all, active citizen participation are interconnected aspects of the same effort.
From collecting waste on the beach to transforming recycled plastic into a new object, the initiative conveyed a simple but meaningful message: a material that is treated as waste can, through proper management and reuse, acquire new value.
The initiative was organised by Greek Eco Project, a European Climate Pact Partner, and Ambassadors Vicky Drouga and Panoulis Kalaitzis, with the support of INZEB, National Coordinator of the European Climate Pact in Greece.