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The environmental foundation Mallorca Preservation, together with IbizaPreservation and Menorca Preservation, announces the launch of the 6th edition of “Kilómetros de Plástico por Iris” (Kilometers of Plastic for Iris). This Balearic-wide initiative aims to raise and strengthen environmental awareness among Secondary Education students in order to reduce plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.

The main goal this year is to collect one tonne of plastic among all participants from the four Balearic Islands. Organized by class groups from their respective schools, students will take part in outings to collectively collect waste from nature. In addition, as a new feature of this edition, there will be a focus on citizen science. Students will weigh and analyze the collected waste and record the results in the Universal Plastic (UP) app, where each item of waste becomes environmental data integrated into the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC). In this way, the initiative contributes to one of UP’s core pillars: combining technology and collective action to regenerate marine ecosystems and demonstrate that every individual can be part of the solution.

“At Mallorca Preservation, we firmly believe that engaging young people in environmental protection is key to generating real and lasting change. In this sixth edition of Kilómetros de Plástico por Iris, we continue to support an initiative that not only promotes direct action against plastic pollution, but also turns students into active agents of transformation within their communities. Projects like this show that environmental education, when participatory and close to home, has an impact both on the territory and on people,” says Ana Riera, Director of Mallorca Preservation.

Meanwhile, Alba Carbonell, co-founder of 0 Plastic, emphasizes the potential of today’s youth: “When education is combined with experiential learning, young people better understand the problem of plastic and it helps them reflect on changing their daily habits.”

A project committed to empowering youth in the fight against plastic

In this way, participants will become “0 Plastic Warriors”: students eager to learn and take action against plastic pollution. To this end, once registered, teachers from participating schools will receive a digital educational kit with audiovisual content covering key concepts such as: what plastic is, its different types, its origin, the problems it causes in nature and for our health, and what microplastics are. In addition, the 0 Plastic team—the non-profit organization implementing the initiative—will offer the inspirational training session “The Hidden Side of Plastic: What We Don’t Want to See” free of charge to all registered classes.

Six prizes for the most committed classes

Another new feature of this 6th edition is the distribution of prizes into two main categories. The first, for 1st and 2nd year of Secondary Education (ESO), includes three prizes consisting of a kayaking excursion or an underwater photography workshop with MARE for the winning class in Ibiza and Formentera, Mallorca, and Menorca. The second category is aimed at 3rd and 4th year students and includes three cash prizes of €1,000 to support the end-of-year trip for the winning class in Ibiza and Formentera, Mallorca, and Menorca.

The award ceremony will take place in early June, within the framework of two environmental observances—World Environment Day (June 5) and World Oceans Day (June 8)—to highlight the importance of marine conservation and the protection of the Balearic Islands.

The initiative continues to honor the memory of Iris Goldsmith, a young environmental activist and daughter of Ben Goldsmith, co-founder of the three foundations that promote “Kilómetros de Plástico por Iris.”

Teachers can register their classes through the link in the Instagram bio @kilometrosdeplasticoporiris or via the website www.0plastic.es. The deadline to submit cleanup results and app data is May 5, 2026.