EBEN 2020

AMBASSADORS CLUB OF EBEN BOOKLET 2020 39 ATHANASIOS C. LASKARIDIS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION “Greece lives without single-use plastics” Established in 2015, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation focuses primarily on marine protection, the support of employment through micro-entrepreneurship as well as initiatives that promote transparency and accountability. Hybrid at its core, the Foundation designs and implements its own programs, collaborates with other entities, as well as supports actions of other organizations in its main areas of focus. The Foundation’s programs address marine protection holistically. Campaigns that educate and raise awareness, educational programs for primary- and secondary school students, support of scientific research and extensive coastal and underwater cleanups are some of the activities implemented by the organization. Thanks to its successful programs, such as “Typhoon Project”, “SeaChange Greek Islands” and “Fishing For Litter”, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation has been acknowledged as one of the most efficient agents in the protection of Greek shores and seas from pollution. The Foundation's efforts are also targeted on fighting pollution caused by single-use plastics. Acknowledging its significant experience, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy has invited the Foundation to collaborate in the reduction and gradual banning of single-use plastics in Greece, in application of EU Directive 2019/904. The program “Greece Without Single-Use Plastics”, a cooperative effort between the two institutions, includes coastal and underwater cleanups, informative meetings with individuals and organizations that can play a key role in the transition into a new era without single-use plastics, media campaigns, as well as the promotion of best practices from all fields. The program is based on the notion that all of us can be part of the solution, seeking out and implementing practical alternatives to single-use plastics in our daily life. The campaign "Greece Without Single-Use Plastics" travels throughout Greece, with activities that shall escalate in the coming months, as far as health conditions allow while following the further incorporation of the European directive in the national legislation. Awareness raising, field activities, the participation of ambassadors from all professional and social backgrounds, as well as the promotion of effective and sustainable habits, are some of the program’s "weapons" in the fight for a life without single-use plastics.