Angelakos (Hellas) S.A. once again organized a voluntary beach clean up of the Oinousses Islands on May 15th, 2018, participating also in HELMEPA’s Campaign of May 4-25, 2018, “Let’s Cleanup Europe”.

Pic.1 Volunteers outside the Municipality Hall.

Dimitris E. Angelakos, Kitsa Angelakou-Skiniti, and members of our office staff travelled to the Oinousses Islands of Greece (pic. 1).

This year the cleaning up was performed by more than 130 volunteers, more than twice as many as last year. This is an impressive number of volunteers for an island of 850 inhabitants and was achieved thanks to the participation of almost all the students of Oinousses and their teachers.

The children from the Kindergarten, the pupils from the Elementary school, the High school and the Nautical Lyceum and students of the Merchant Marine Academy took part in this community service.

Pic. 2 Kampi beach, before and after the cleaning up.

In a few hours, 10 beaches of the island and 1,000 metres of coastline were cleaned up, and 385 bags of garbage (27,000 litres) were collected and disposed off (pic. 2).

Most of the garbage was plastic bags, bottles, sacks, car tyres, abandoned boats (used by refugees who land to the island from Turkey by sea), clothing, ropes, fishing nets, etc.

Everyone worked with great zeal to clean up the beautiful Oinoussian beaches (pics 3a, 3b). Although many of the students are not locals, by taking part in the clean up, they show that they truly care about the environment and the island where they study.

It is important to understand that our home is the Earth -not only our town, our neighbourhood, our street, or our house. Let each one of us actively rise to cultivate environmental awareness, especially in the younger members of our community.

Pic. 3a, 3b Children from the Elementary school and from the Merchant Marine Academy in action.

On a final note, we wish for everyone to join the vision and the beauty of a cleaner planet with its subsequent benefits to all.

Let’s go green!