The experience of a volunteer in Spain (Bilbao)

Monday. We had no idea what to expect. How much trash there will be on the beaches, between big rocks, partial swallowed up by the sand. We were three persons on a small beach called Ereaga.

'We will be ready in a half hour', I thought. There was not that much trash, not at first glance.

But I looked more closely so I saw much more than people are able to see if they just walk their dogs. I saw a lot of water bottles lying in the sand and waiting for their 450 years ongoing process to dissolve. I saw fireworks from silvester two weeks ago, small pieces of plastic, plastic toys and so on ...

A never ending story.

Day per day, Monday to Thursday we saved plastic trash in 10 - 30 litre bags. With the amazing view of the Atlantic ocean it could be a nice work - if you would not think about the reasons for this horrible pollution as well as the extensive consequences.

Beside all kinds of rubbish we found dead animals like birds and rats, 20 cent coins or just shells that fit harmoniously into the picture of the trashed existence of the sea.

'Why is nobody getting to help us?', I asked myself and looked to hundreds of people walking on the promenade to watch the beautiful sunset. Some of them looked at us, animated us with a couple of words to keep going.

Sometimes we were changing the location and walked to other beaches. Other places, same trash.

It was always the same: old shoes, small pices of plastic and water bottles.

But it is a great feeling to see after four hours of work a beach which is cleaner than before. Even if it will takes us more days of work - we have the aim to clean more beaches, the ocean and make the world becoming a better place.