EUDEL had received a heartfelt invitation from the youth of the People United Community to join this community-driven endeavour, and this invitation was warmly extended to colleagues from member states and European companies present in Liberia.

In a strong show of support for this cause, EUDEL distributed 200 pairs of protective work gloves on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, EUDEL provided 230 T-shirts, primarily for the Liberian youth and community participants. The community also received a generous donation of rakes to aid in the clean-up effort.

All waste collected during the clean-up was efficiently transported to a designated collection point.

"We are deeply grateful to the youth groups and the European Union for their participation in our community beach clean-up. The presence of the group inspired more young people to join our efforts. We hope for future collaborations with the EU in implementing other projects," expressed Othello a Kolleh, Youth Chairperson of the People United Community.

This event was part of the ongoing EU Green Diplomacy Weeks, which spotlight best practices for addressing climate change and preserving the environment, leading up to the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai (30 November-12 December 2023).

The EU is at the forefront of global efforts to reduce and prevent plastic pollution. In addition to extensive reuse and recycling targets, EU policy is dedicated to reducing single-use plastics, microplastics, and waste from lost fishing gear.

The event at Tiny Beach also marked this year’s World Cleanup Day – a global campaign and a European success story. The inaugural Cleanup Day was organized in Estonia in 2008 and has since spread to 180 countries, becoming a hallmark of community-led action to protect oceans worldwide. On World Cleanup Day 2022, 416 clean-up events took place in 41 countries, with over 14,000 participants removing several dozen tonnes of marine litter.