The Island of Principe Biosphere Reserve has been cleaned of 30,000 plastic bottles since the beginning of the ‘No Plastic’ campaign

In February 2014, the Island of Principe Biosphere Reserve (São Tome and Principe) and the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme launched an awareness and mobilization campaign entitled ‘No plastic: A small gesture in our hands’. The aim of the campaign is to reduce plastic waste and promote access to drinking water in the biosphere reserve.

Fifty plastic bottles can be exchanged for a ‘Principe Biosphere Bottle’, a reusable stainless steel bottle made from safe, plastic-free materials. These bottles can be replenished at various treated water points installed across the Island of Principe.

After a year-long campaign, a total of 30,000 plastic bottles were removed, thirteen water fountains were established, and 6,000 ‘Principe Biosphere Bottles’ were distributed among the local population.

The campaign represents a partnership between the Regional Government of Principe, through the Island of Príncipe Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme, the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, and the HBD group.

In a meeting with representatives from the MAB programme and the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, the Regional President of the Government of Principe announced that by 2020 Principe Island would become ‘plastic-free’ and that this project would serve as a model for future activities.