PLAST4H2 launches new edition of “You decide. The sea feels it.” awareness campaign on Cantabria’s beaches.

As part of the European project PLAST4H2, a new edition of the awareness campaign “You decide. The sea feels it.” (“Tú decides. El mar lo nota.”) kicked off on 30 July on Comillas beach. Throughout the summer, the initiative will travel across the beaches of Cantabria to raise awareness among bathers and visitors about the impact of plastic waste on the Cantabrian Sea.

The launch event was attended by the Regional Minister for the Environment of the Government of Cantabria and the Mayor of Comillas, who highlighted the importance of engaging citizens in coastal care through simple, everyday actions.

Running from 24 July to 23 August, the campaign will bring its message to more than 40 beaches across the region, in morning (10:30–14:30) and afternoon (15:45–19:45) sessions, following the established calendar. The team will be present at locations including El Sardinero, Somo, Berría, Oyambre, Comillas, Los Locos, Ris and Trengandín, among many others.

Under the slogan “Micro-actions against microplastics”, the campaign focuses on the often invisible problem of plastic fragmentation in the marine environment: Cantabria generates around 18,000 tonnes of packaging waste each year, nearly half of which never reaches the yellow recycling bin. The campaign encourages the public to take simple everyday steps — reduce, reuse, sort, educate and clean up — to help stop plastic from reaching the sea.

The campaign is being carried out by our project partner, MARE, as part of PLAST4H2’s citizen engagement activities, and is complemented by a social media reel from Cantabria Circular, radio spots and a promotional video. PLAST4H2 is an Interreg Atlantic Area project aimed at transforming marine plastic waste into hydrogen and value-added products.