Cigarette butts are one of the most common types of waste on beaches and one of the most polluting, as they release toxic substances that affect terrestrial organisms and water quality. The Valencian Community is a paradigmatic example of this trend: on the Arenal beach in Xàbia alone, more than 4,000 cigarette butts have been collected, according to the Oceanogràfic Foundation. To combat this problem, lateuaterra.com has launched the second edition of the campaign in networks #desentierralacolilla.

How to participate in #desentiererralacolilla (digging up cigarette butts)

Desentierralacolilla is an awareness campaign that aims to encourage citizens to take care of the beaches and to make smokers reflect on the impact of the gesture of throwing cigarette butts in the sand on their immediate environment. From the platform, bathers are urged to upload photos on any social network of cigarette butts buried in the sand under the hashtag #desentierralacolilla, inserting the location or the name of the beach where it is located. “Last year the action worked very well in networks and we managed to mobilize people. We need to continue to make this problem visible,” conclude representatives of the platform.