On Saturday, 19 September 2026, the Slovenian coast once again brought together numerous volunteers, organisations and individuals who care about the sea and the environment. As part of the traditional Clean Coast 2026 clean-up campaign, participants cleaned the area from Lazaret to Sečovlje, as well as several other locations across Slovenian Istria, once again showing how much can be achieved by working together.
A total of 182 volunteers took part across 30 locations, including 161 adults and 21 children. Together, they cleaned 18.3 kilometres of routes, collected 291.4 kilograms of waste and recorded as many as 17,365 individual pieces of litter.
Once again, cigarette butts were the most frequently recorded type of litter, with volunteers counting a total of 6,285. They were followed by pieces of plastic film (1,886), hard plastic fragments (1,789), pieces of polystyrene (1,122) and glass fragments (1,058). The high number of cigarette butts once again highlights the problem of this often-overlooked type of waste and the importance of raising awareness about its impact on the marine and coastal environment.
After the clean-up: time to connect and discover the sea
After the clean-up, activities moved to Krka Beach in Strunjan, where participants were welcomed with a varied accompanying programme.
Visitors could take part in a guided tour of the salt pans in Strunjan Landscape Park, a movement and dance workshop with Mimi Kete, as well as other activities designed to encourage connection, movement and a better understanding of the natural environment.
Environmental education was also an important part of the programme. During workshops organised by the YouSea Institute, participants learned about the inhabitants of the Slovenian sea through play. An experiment also demonstrated why a cigarette butt is far from harmless waste and what happens when the substances it contains come into contact with water.
The accompanying programme also featured information stands by organisations and projects involved in marine research, protection and conservation. Among those presenting their work were Strunjan Landscape Park, the Morigenos association, the Marine Biology Station Piran of the National Institute of Biology, the National Institute of Chemistry and the YouSea Institute, together with a range of projects and initiatives aimed at protecting the marine environment.
More than just a clean-up campaign
Clean Coast is not simply about collecting litter. It is also an opportunity to bring people together, exchange knowledge, raise awareness and reflect on the everyday habits that affect our environment.
Every piece of litter removed is a step towards a cleaner coast, but in the long term it is even more important that a responsible attitude towards the sea becomes part of our everyday lives.
A sincere thank you to all the volunteers, coordinators, organisers and partners who contributed to this year’s campaign, and to everyone whose work and example help protect and preserve the Slovenian sea.
Clean Coast 2026 was co-funded by the European Union as part of the RISTANC project, financed under the Horizon Europe programme.
