Twelve students from the Lycée Français d’Eivissa joined the Ibiza Hike Station team for a three-hour coastal clean-up on 9 November, collecting approximately 150 kilograms of plastic waste and other discarded material. The activity, organised as part of Hike Station’s Hike to Clean initiative, combined outdoor exercise with practical environmental education and highlighted the impact of marine litter on Ibiza’s coastline.

Three-hour coastal clean-up

During the walk, participants collected a variety of waste that had accumulated along the shoreline, including fragmented plastic, microplastics, footwear carried ashore by sea currents and remains of abandoned boats among the rocks.

The amount collected was estimated at around 150 kilograms, according to the report published by Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera. As the group progressed, the bags became increasingly heavy, and some sections of the route required considerable physical effort.

The exact stretch of coastline was not identified in the published report.

Environmental education beyond the clean-up

The activity also gave the students an opportunity to observe the effects of marine litter directly and discuss the consequences of plastic pollution.

Particular attention was given to how larger plastic objects can gradually break down into smaller fragments and microplastics. These particles can enter marine environments and be ingested by fish and other organisms, creating potential pathways for plastic pollution to move through food webs.

By collecting waste themselves, the students were able to connect the environmental issues discussed in education with the challenges facing Ibiza's natural spaces.

Hike Station's ongoing environmental initiative

Hike to Clean is part of Ibiza Hike Station's wider social responsibility programme. The initiative organises community hikes that combine outdoor activity with the collection of rubbish from natural areas, including locations that can be difficult to reach through conventional cleaning operations.

The organisation's stated aim is to leave the natural environment in the same condition, or better, than it was found.

Manuel Ehrensperger, founder of Hike Station, praised the students' enthusiasm and participation during the November activity.

"When you walk through these places and see what the sea leaves behind, you understand that protecting Ibiza is not an abstract idea," he said. He added that seeing the young participants carrying the bags with such energy demonstrated their commitment to looking after the island.

The clean-up offered a practical reminder that protecting Ibiza's coastline involves more than large-scale environmental programmes. Community participation, responsible behaviour and continued attention to waste in natural areas all have a role to play in preserving the island's environment.