UN Environment's global campaign calls on governments, industry and citizens to end the excessive use and waste of single-use plastics and eliminate microplastics in cosmetics, the two biggest sources of marine pollution. Currently, it is estimated that more than 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, causing harm to marine life, fisheries and tourism, and costing at least $8 billion in damage to marine ecosystems.

The week between September 16th and 24th, 2017 will be known as the #SemanaMaresLimpos de Cleaning de Praias, which will bring together beach cleaning groups that will carry out actions during this period. The registered groups will be part of the Clean Seas campaign and will collect information about the garbage found on the beaches. The information on the garbage collected in each action will be accounted for and will be part of the national panorama on marine litter, subsidizing the preparation of the National Plan to Combat Marine Litter, led by the Ministry of the Environment and the UN Environment.

ABOUT THE ACTION
On September 16th, the International Beach Cleanup Day is celebrated: every year, thousands of people gather to clean up beaches and other bodies of water around the world. This year, on September 23, the Paraíba Aquarium will clean Seixas beach, in João Pessoa, and this action will be part of the #SemanaMaresLimpos, promoted by the Mares Limpos campaign, of the UN Environment.