Brigada do Mar

Brigada do Mar's main purpose is decontaminating Portugal's coastline. Since May 2009 it has removed more than 1,085,000 kg of waste from coastal areas, with more than 15,000 volunteers taking part. It started in 2009 and was formally established in 2012 as a Portuguese non-governmental development organisation (ONGD). The work covers four areas: coastal decontamination, environmental education through the Oceanizar programme, corporate eco team-building through CORPOR-ACT, and cooperation for development. Through direct action, advocacy and education, the organisation works on marine conservation and on reducing plastic pollution in Portugal, and encourages younger generations to look after the environment. The cleanups take two forms. Large-volume collection goes after bulky debris across wide areas. Integral cleaning removes every item foreign to the ecosystem. The flagship cleanup, often described as the largest in the world, brings together schools, scout groups, municipalities and corporate partners along the coast of Grândola municipality and beyond. Oceanizar trains students and teachers to protect the oceans through beach cleanups, talks and workshops. It also encourages schools to set up their own hubs for sustainable practices around consumption and recycling. With CORPOR-ACT, companies and institutions take part in hands-on environmental work, which raises awareness of how fragile ecosystems are and builds team spirit. Regular partners include municipal and parish councils, scout groups, schools and companies such as Yamaha Motor Portugal, Heineken and EDP. Internationally, Brigada do Mar collaborates with Belgian scouts and with other environmental associations, among them Planet Caretakers, Novo Mundo and EDA.