#Potavristou

“Potavristou” is a word used in the Greek-Cypriot dialect that roughly translates to “reach out” or “lend a hand.”

The #potavristou campaign is a social media initiative organized by AKTI Project and Research Centre that has been running throughout the month of September for the past five years. Its aim is to raise awareness about marine litter issues and foster a sense of environmental responsibility. The campaign is promoted through social and conventional media to encourage individuals and groups to pick up litter wherever they are, with a primary focus on beaches.

Participants collect data on the type and amount of litter, share photos, and report their findings using the Clean Swell App or social media with the hashtags #potavristou, #akti, and #SeaTheChange. Engaging social media banners and short informative videos are developed and shared throughout September to further raise awareness about marine litter and promote environmental responsibility.

What initially started out as a call-to-action for marine litter reduction on the coasts of Cyprus, has grown into a yearly ‘one-month-long’ awareness raising campaign for the prevention and reduction of litter across the globe. Over the five years of its implementation (from 2019 to 2023), more than 10,000 volunteers have participated in #potavristou collecting 77 tons of litter from 1,050 locations in Cyprus, and 250 other locations globally.

In 2023, 2,832 people participated in #potavrsistou, voluntarily gathering 30 tons of litter from 294 locations in 15 countries. This September (2024) #potavristou runs for its 6th consecutive year, and while we are still halfway through its implementation, participation and the public’s commitment and support to this initiative is bigger than ever. During the 1st week of September 2024, 415 kgs of litter has been collected by 260 volunteers in Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Croatia, the Philippines and China.

Amongst #potavristou’s successes are:
In 2020, #potavristou was honored by the International Ocean Conservancy as one of the world's top 10 innovative actions for clean coastlines and seas.
In 2021, #potavristou received recognition from the Mediterranean NGOs for Environment and Culture (MIO-ESCADE).
The #potavristou2022 campaign gained the support of the international organisation Ocean Conservancy as part of the #TeamSeas campaign
In 2022, #potavristou received the Silver Award at the Carob Awards 2022 – Cyprus Advertising Awards, by the Cyprus Advertisers Association.