Plastic and polystyrene represent 92% of the waste collected at beaches, according to the results of the National Program for Monitoring the Quality of Bathing Water and Beach Sand in the Kingdom.
“The distribution of waste at the beaches monitored during the two campaigns indicates that the predominant category of waste is plastic/polystyrene, with a rate of 92%”, we note in this report, the results of which were presented, Tuesday in Rabat, by the Ministry of Energy Transition.
Speaking at the press conference presenting these results, the Minister for Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Ms. Leila Benali, stressed that the monitoring affected 61 beaches (38 on the Atlantic coast and 23 on the Mediterranean coasts). .
Chemical and mycological analyzes of the sand of the beaches as well as a classification of the maritime waste were also carried out, indicated Ms. Benali, specifying that from 70 to 80% of the waste being on the coasts has a terrestrial origin.
It also emerges from these results that the sub-categories, “cigarette butts and filters”, “plastic caps and lids” and “crisps wrappers/candy wrappers/candy sticks” represent, on their own, 60% of the all waste collected.
Concerning the mycological quality of beach sand, the results obtained revealed the presence of certain fungi, which do not generally present a health risk, at certain beaches, indicates the report on “monitoring the quality of bathing waters and sand from the Kingdom’s beaches”, the results of which were presented at a press conference on Tuesday.