Around 50 volunteers gathered at Es Figueral on Sunday, September 27, to take part in a beach cleanup and help raise awareness about marine litter and microplastics.

The activity formed part of the fifth edition of the Festa de sa Roca de sa Creu, a weekend celebration combining music, environmental activities, sport and traditional culture in the coastal area of Santa Eulària des Riu.

Cleanup begins at 9:30

The environmental programme began at 09:30 with a cleanup of Es Figueral beach accompanied by an awareness workshop focused on microplastics.

Volunteers spread along the shoreline collecting waste that was not always immediately visible from the surface of the beach.

Agnès Torres, a marine biologist and co-founder of Conciencia Plástica, coordinated the activity and said that apparently clean areas can still contain significant amounts of waste beneath stones and in less visible parts of the shoreline.

Different types of waste collected

Among the items recovered during the morning were drinks cans, plastics, cigarette butts and pieces of broken glass.

Volunteers also collected pieces of metal, including some described by the organisers as potentially dangerous, as well as remnants of fishing nets.

Other material found included filters associated with wastewater treatment and discarded protective mouthpieces from vapes.

The volunteers said that some of these materials can also provide information about how waste reaches the coastline and moves with currents.

Families take part

Families were among those joining the cleanup, with children participating alongside adults.

The environmental workshop was designed for different age groups, with organisers using the activity to highlight the importance of recycling and responsible waste management.

Torres also stressed that environmental awareness is not only a message for younger generations, but something that needs to be maintained among adults as well.

15 volunteers from Associació de Voluntaris d'Eivissa

Around 15 members of the Associació de Voluntaris d'Eivissa took part in the cleanup.

The group regularly participates in beach-cleaning activities around the island and had also carried out cleanups at Es Cavallet and Cala Gració the previous weekend.

Its president, Joan Sillero, said the organisation was pleased to return to Es Figueral for another year of the event.

Part of the Festa de sa Roca de sa Creu

The cleanup was one of the Sunday activities organised as part of the Festa de sa Roca de sa Creu.

The celebration, which took place on September 26 and 27, is organised around Es Figueral and takes its name from the historic name by which local residents knew the beach.

The programme combines cultural, sporting and environmental activities alongside the main Saturday evening celebrations.

Saturday night brings music to the beach

The weekend began on Saturday afternoon with a programme of music, dance and percussion.

According to the event organiser, around 1,000 people attended the beach between 17:00 and 00:30 for performances and music.

The programme included African dance, DJ sets, Latin music, percussion and electronic music, with organisers repeatedly encouraging visitors to leave the public space clean.

The attendance figure is an estimate provided by the organisers.

Sunday continues with sea and sports activities

Following the cleanup, the Sunday programme continued with activities focused on the sea and the environment.

At 10:00, participants could join guided coastal activities connected with the Viu la posidònia programme, together with a marine-litter cleanup by kayak or canoe.

The activity was free, although places were limited.

At 11:30, the programme moved to beach tennis, with an open session including activities for children and young people.

Traditional culture closes the weekend

The celebrations concluded at 13:00 with a traditional ball pagès performance by the Colla de Ball Pagès de Sant Carles.

The closing performance added a cultural element to a day that had already combined environmental work, activities at sea and sport.

Bringing environmental awareness into local celebrations

The Es Figueral weekend combined entertainment with practical environmental activities, giving volunteers and local families an opportunity to participate directly in caring for the coastline.

The beach cleanup also provided an opportunity to highlight forms of marine litter that can remain hidden even when a beach appears clean.

For the organisers, the combination of environmental education, community participation and local cultural activities forms part of the wider purpose of the Festa de sa Roca de sa Creu.

A community effort at Es Figueral

By the end of Sunday's programme, around 50 volunteers had taken part in the beach cleanup, including families and members of the island's volunteer association.

The activity brought the fifth edition of the Festa de sa Roca de sa Creu to a close after a weekend combining music, sport, environmental awareness and traditional culture at Es Figueral.