Reduce-Reuse-Recycle Campaign Celebration (WFWP Albania)
On December 17, 2021, WFWP Albania concluded the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle campaign with an event at the European University of Tirana. The goal of the gathering was to spread the knowledge of the harmful effects of plastic on the environment and human health and to encourage the young generation to change their daily consumption habits, especially regarding the use of plastic bags. Thanks to the cooperation with the UET authorities and our student contacts, the hall was full for the event, with around sixty participants, mostly young women and girls.
The lively and dynamic program was skillfully moderated by Mrs. Majlinda Ziko and featured mainly educational messages and entertainment. First, Mrs. Katarzyna Minollari, president of WFWP Albania greeted the participants and shared about the necessity of environmental awareness and action. She was followed by Mrs. Aida Pambuku who, as the representative of the Municipality of Tirana which was an official partner of the event, gave her words of support for our initiative. Then Ms. Borana Fuqi, this year's finalist of the Young Women Speech Competition, spoke about the overconsumption of plastic, citing the prognosis that with the current pollution speed, in 2050 the oceans may hold more plastic than fish.
The main presentation was given by Professor Ferdinand Bego, a specialist in biology, who gave precise data on the destruction of marine life in the Adriatic Sea caused by plastic waste. The images of sea turtles stranded in plastic nets and birds with stomachs filled with plastic were quite shocking. Besides these effects, as professor Bego stated, plastic pollution limits the reproductive abilities of many sea animals, as many chemicals, used in plastic production, are toxic. As a way to reduce plastic pollution, we presented to the participants our fabric shopping bags as an alternative to single-use plastic bags.
The educational messages were complemented by a dynamic and heartwarming musical performance by Mr. Rei Bezhani, who sang a collage of holiday songs. The event could not be complete without a visit from Santa Claus, who delivered gifts to twenty lucky raffle winners. As Santa mentioned, gifts did not contain any plastic. Among the winners was also Mrs. Pambuku from Tirana Municipality. This way the gathering ended on a happy note, with some participants wanting to learn more and become active with WFWP.
