Over 3,700 volunteers from 425 locations worldwide worked together to collect more than 20 tonnes of trash in September, as part of #Potavristou, a Cyprus led campaign organised by AKTI project and research centre.

Marking its seventh consecutive year of action, this year’s campaign smashed last year’s record of 16 tonnes by 3,200 volunteers and expanded its impact to new parts of the world: from the Philippines to Marseille, and from Texas to Iceland.

The volunteers contributed by cleaning beaches, cities, mountains, parks and lakes, sending valuable field data to aid environmental efforts. According to their estimates, a striking 89 per cent of the waste collected was plastic, highlighting the persistent issue of plastic pollution in our ecosystems.

Over its history, the campaign has cumulatively removed around 110 tonnes of waste from more than 2,095 sites both in Cyprus and internationally, preventing this debris from ending up in oceans and breaking down into microplastics.

Since its inception in 2019, #Potavristou has garnered significant international recognition.

In 2020, it was honoured by the Ocean Conservancy as one of the ten most innovative actions worldwide for clean coasts and seas. The campaign was again recognised a year later by Ocean Conservancy and MIO-ECSDE and won a Silver Award at the 2022 Carob Awards.

In 2024, the campaign earned a special mention at the Society4Med Awards, organised by BlueMissionMed under the EU’s “Restore our Ocean and Waters” mission, celebrating its impact in raising awareness.

The following year, AKTI received the European Citizens’ Gold Award from Europa Nostra at the Delphi Economic Forum, honouring 25 years of dedicated sustainability efforts, with #potavristou highlighted as one of its most innovative projects.

Anyone can join in by simply collecting litter wherever they are: on beaches, boats, or nearby areas. After counting items like plastic cups and cigarette butts, record the data using the free Clean Swell app or send it to AKTI via social media.

Participants are also encouraged share photos with the relevant information on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtags #potavristou, #akti, and #SeaTheChange.