‘Sea Change’ Campaign: No More Plastic Straws on Sikinos

Sikinos island. Photo Source: © Facebook – ΟΙ ΟΜΟΡΦΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ ΜΑΣ

The Cycladic island of Sikinos is the first in Greece, to do away with plastic straws and replace them with a bio-degradable alternative paving the way for other islands in the complex to follow suit in the next five years.

The action comes after the launch of the EU Plastics Strategy, the first-ever Europe-wide action to address the issue of plastic waste, and is made possible with the support of the A.C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation.

The foundation has offered to replace the plastic straws as part of the Sikinos municipality’s ongoing “Sea Change” campaign which will be celebrated with a special event on Saturday at 7.30pm at the Sikinos school. The happening is open to all and will include discussions on the dangers of plastic as well as screenings of the “EGEO – Sea for Me” and “STRAWS” documentaries in collaboration with Plastic Free Greece.

“Changes usually start with small things. One such case is the plastic straw. Changing something small in our everyday habits can go a long way, and we can influence others by setting the example,” Angeliki Kosmopoulou, executive director of the A.C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, told the Athens News Agency, adding that plastic straws are one of the most common pieces of litter encountered along Greek coasts and the 11th most common in Greek waters.

Kosmopoulou pointed out that organizers will again visit the island when the summer season is over to “measure the results of the action, clean the coasts and implement educational programs on all educational levels”.