Groups tackle streets and seas in battle against trash

A VIRAL fitness craze has reached North Cyprus, taking off in the capital on Sunday as a new group of young volunteers combined litter-picking and jogging to “plog” the Sarayönü Square area — before moving to Girne today.

The arrival of the “Zibilling” group of young professionals comes as No Straws North Cyprus anti-plastics activists announced an underwater litter-pick and festival to promote awareness of their campaign.

Lawyer Öykü Akcan said they had named “Zibilling” after the Cypriot word for rubbish, “zibil”, and hoped to be able to undertake education projects in schools.

“We really want to target plastic bottles in a project similar to the Can Kid drive for aluminium cans, but for now, we are zibilling all the towns and will be in Girne’s Baldöken Car Park area at 6pm today, Saturday, so come and meet us!

“If you want to join in, all you have to do is get your trainers on, grab a rubbish bag and gloves and hit the street to hunt the rubbish. We have a lot of fun and keep ourselves and the environment in peak condition!”

“Plogging” developed in Sweden two years ago — the name combining “jogging” and the Swedish “plocka upp”, meaning “pick up” — as a running-based workout which adds bends and squats to pick up trash.

Ms Akcan said: “If we all did it, there would be no litter and North Cyprus would be a much nicer place.”

Divers will be doing their bit next Sunday, September 30, when an underwater clean-up at Karşıyaka will be followed by a festival to raise awareness of the No Straws North Cyprus campaign.

Four dive groups — Cyprus Underwater Explorers, Deep Penetration, Amphora and North Cyprus British Scuba Centre — will collect rubbish from the seabed off Güzelyalı Beach from 10am.

It comes after diver and musician Ed Sezener approached campaign co-founder Claire Morley expressing concern at growing amounts of undersea rubbish, particularly plastic.

The clean-up, using biodegradable hessian bags, will be followed by the 1pm festival at Sardunya Bay beach bar, featuring music and stalls for community groups such as Can Kid and Kyrenia Animal Rescue (KAR). Entry will be free, with food available from the restaurant.

Ms Morley said: “This is . . . aimed at encouraging people to reduce the use of plastic and we are hoping to raise as much awareness as possible.”

To join the clean-up, call Mr Sezener on 0548 820 4715 or ring 0533 866 2758 for details of the festival. Tackling a trash ‘catastrophe’, pages 16 & 17