For over 10 years IbizaPreservation has been working to identify, research and support local initiatives that can have a positive impact on the environment and community of Ibiza and Formentera. A recent study by its Sustainability Observatory showed that Ibiza generated half a ton of waste per person in 2018. This is 14% more than anywhere else in Europe and a 25% increase compared to the amount produced in 2010. As in many other parts of the world, plastic is a major part of the waste problem in Ibiza and Formentera. For this reason IbizaPreservation created the movement Plastic Free Ibiza & Formentera, an initiative that involves more than 25 organizations with which it is working together with local governments and businesses to try to phase out single-use plastics, with the aim of eliminating it completely by 2023.
To date, more than 100 companies have already signed the “Plastic Free” certification procedure: a star means that a company has got rid of three single-use plastic items; two stars indicate that it has removed 50%; three stars indicate that they are 100% plastic free.
Another project currently underway focuses on how better protect the precious Posidonia, or sea prairie, an aquatic plant that helps keep the Balearic waters so clear and turquoise. Some of the prairies of Poseidonia are over a thousand years old and the area is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. However, pollution and uncontrolled anchoring of boats are destroying them. The objectives of IbizaPreservation are: to map the Posidonia, to support the boats with an application to guide them in anchoring, to provide information to improve the construction process of the subsea pipelines and many other initiatives to better educate people on the crucial role that the Posidonia plays. in our ecosystem, with the hope of preserving it for many thousands of years to come.
