Global environmental campaign #potavristou achieves record participation

In September 2026, the Cypriot-led environmental movement #potavristou concluded its eighth annual campaign, achieving record-breaking participation with 4,796 volunteers globally. This international initiative saw volunteers spontaneously organize clean-ups across 451 locations, including sites in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, New York, Australia, and Japan, to address the growing accumulation of waste in cities, coastal areas, mountains, and parks.

The scientific team of the AKTI Research and Studies Centre, which organizes the initiative, analyzed the collected data and reported that 83% of the waste removed consisted of plastics. During the event, volunteers successfully gathered over 25 tons of litter, preventing it from potentially entering ecosystems as microplastics. Over its eight-year history, the movement has involved 21,800 volunteers in total, who have removed more than 135 tons of waste from over 2,545 locations in Cyprus and abroad.

The initiative serves to highlight the environmental dangers posed by refuse that would otherwise enter the marine environment following rainfall. By continuing to mobilize citizens, the movement aims to mitigate the long-term impact of waste pollution on global habitats.