Our program in Argentina is tackling plastic pollution in cities, urban river deltas — and some the country’s most remote and beautiful regions

The Parley Global Cleanup Network works to protect marine environments from plastic pollution and other threats. Through collaborative cleanups with local businesses and organisations, our teams intercept plastic waste from beaches, remote islands, rivers, mangroves and coastal communities. With cleanups in 30 countries so far and counting, the Network also works on local education, awareness campaigns and government engagement to drive change.

Each country team shares our vision for healthier oceans globally, and works locally to champion the Parley AIR Strategy in their nation. As of 2021, Parley has worked with over 750 collaborators, engaged over 260,000 volunteers and conducted more than 4500 cleanups worldwide.

Headed up by Olympic sailor Yago Lange, our program in Argentina has tackled plastic pollution in both cities and some the country’s most remote and beautiful regions – including a collaborative cleanup on the border with Brazil. With over 3,000 miles of coastline stretching down to Patagonia, and two majors rivers joining in the world’s only river-to-river delta near Buenos Aires, there’s a lot to cover.

“We’ve had the opportunity to organize impactful cleanups with a remarkably strong network of volunteers. The movement here is growing, and all of us have a role to play. We can all be a part of the solution.”

– Yago Lange, Parley Argentina

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Featured Projects

Urban and coastal cleanups

Parley Argentina has carried out a few absolutely massive cleanups among the 33 it has conducted so, including one at San Fernando with over 24,301 lbs of debris removed and one at Isla Nazar Anchorena that saw teams intercept 22,000 lbs. In total, the team has intercepted 49,608 lbs of plastic, and engaged 2,349 total volunteers in the oceans movement.

Before the pandemic set in, the team mobilized 20 dedicated volunteers to clean up a highly polluted creek in the Tigre area of Buenos Aires. Using a canoe, silo bags, rubber boots and a ton of energy, the crew collected 660 lbs of plastic.

”The river was super polluted, especially from plastic bottles,” explains Yago. “But there was amazing energy from our small team of volunteers and even some tears after we finished. It was pretty emotional, with everyone sharing their experience and ideas to create change against plastic pollution.”

Misiones collaboration

Iguazu National Park lies on the border of Argentina and Brazil, surrounded by rich, biodiverse rainforest and home to hundreds of huge waterfalls. Before the pandemic set in, Parley teams from Brazil and Argentina met up in the region to host cleanups, visit local communities and explore an agroforestry project run by Fundacion Agroecologica Iguazu.

Education

Since launching their program in 2019, Parley Argentina has carried out 38 educational events, reaching over 10,000 total participants on and offline. One early highlight was a huge clean up with 400 students, who helped remove over 3306 lbs of debris in San Isidro. You can read more in this article in Argentinian newspaper, La Nación. Since the pandemic set in, the team have been organizing online Parley School Talks, and have reached 700 students since June 2020.

As Yago explains: “Simple actions can make a big impact. Always during talks I try to show how our actions can make a positive impact. For example – 50 kids during five school days using one plastic bottle day equals 250 bottles a week or 1000 monthly. If each student used their reusable bottle, their grade could save 12,000 plastic bottles a year!”

Patagonia expeditions

Located in the remote south of Argentina and Chile, Patagonia remains one of the world’s last great wildernesses – but there is no ‘away’ and even this vital region is affected by marine plastic pollution. As Yago explains, “We spent two months around Patagonia (both west and east coast) doing research about plastic pollution and the situation there. At a very special Corona x Parley cleanup, we removed 600 fishing boxes from the Puerto Madryn shore, the same bay where whales go during the winter season.”