By Adam Woodward
Copyright euroweeklynews
On September 20, World Cleanup Day, millions worldwide unite to combat litter and address the global waste crisis threatening our natural spaces. In Marbella, Eco Amigos, in collaboration with Costa Women, tackled one of the most neglected areas in Trapiche Norte, a stunning spot in the foothills of La Sierra de la Nieves, long marred by accumulating trash.
Leading the charge is Costa del Sol resident Melissa Vaughn, and founder of Eco Amigos, frustrated by the litter—plastic bags, cigarette butts, cans, disposable vapes, and even laughing gas canisters—spoiling this scenic corner of southern Spain. “We started last year in Duquesa and Casares, cleaning beaches with a small group of friends,” Melissa explains. “Now, with growing core group of eco-conscious volunteers, we’re part of 80 initiatives across Spain. Today, millions globally are cleaning beaches, parks, and towns, representing about 3% of the world’s population. Our goal is to push that to 5%, inspiring others to join us in restoring the land and communities we love.”
This event was the first of its kind for Marbella offshoot Eco Amigos Marbella, led by Carmen Clayton, and hosted in conjunction with Costa Women, was a women-and-children-only free cleanup, though Melissa stresses men are encouraged to come to all their other events. Beyond tidying, the initiative aims to raise awareness about litter’s impact. In this affluent Marbella neighbourhood, dog dirt and flies are a stark contrast to the area’s beauty. As the group worked, a local man strolled by with his dog, greeting them but carrying no bag for his pet’s waste, unaware of the cleanup’s purpose. For Melissa, with the global rubbish crisis that we all face, she would like to encourage everyone to take more responsibility, globally for their communities, something we can all do. Eco Amigos are not protesting, but setting an example, or in Melissa’s words, “Councils everywhere need help. It’s not all about leaving it up to someone else to clean up. We all need to tidy up after ourselves.”
Equipped with gloves, yellow bags for recyclables, green bags for general waste, and long pick-up clamps, women and children as young as three cleared a 100-metre stretch of natural land near homes and a school in just one hour. More than just a cleanup, it’s about visibility—showing that even a single discarded can encourages more littering. Through efforts like Eco Amigos’, the message is clear: littering is not acceptable, and collective action can restore our cherished spaces.
The next cleanup is on Sunday, September 21 between 9.30am and 11.30am outside the Meollo Beach Bar at Aldea beach in Manilva. To register for this event and future ones, write to ecoamigos.es@gmail.com. Everyone is welcome.
Eco Amigos would also be very interested in hearing from anyone in merchandising who could provide the team with matching caps, as the clean-up actions are about visibility, and recognising what they are doing and why.
