An image of the Aegean in August

In waters where humans have exchanged ideas, culture and goods for thousands of years, we are now exchanging plastic waste. It’s rare to find a place where plastic isn’t visible – floating on crystal-blue waters, scattered along shores, or polluting roadsides. But the problem isn’t simply aesthetic. The long-held belief that plastic remains for centuries without breaking down has been debunked. Once exposed to sunlight, plastic doesn’t remain inert, it begins to fragment, sometimes within weeks or months, depending on its type. These fragments, present throughout our environment and seas, quickly degrade into microplastic fibers, and eventually into even smaller nanoplastics. They enter the food chain and ultimately, end up in the human body. Although we still do not fully understand the extent of the effects of plastic in the environment and human body, the known impacts on public health are numerous and dangerous.

We must realize that the image surrounding us is not normal — and certainly cannot be accepted. Streets, squares, and other public places filled with trash; bins permanently overflowing; waste management sites turned into sources of litter dispersal. These are scenes that we see every day. Scenes we can no longer pass by and deny their existence.

We are not innocent bystanders: we are part of the problem — whether we tolerate it or feed it.