Over a weekend, a broad volunteer effort unfolded across Spain. About eleven thousand volunteers joined seven hundred natural spaces in a large-scale search for litter, removing several dozen tons of garbage. The campaign known as 1m2 against garbage, part of the Libera project, was created by SEO/BirdLife in alliance with Ecoembes to raise public awareness of how waste harms natural spaces observed across the country.
Citizen participation to clean up waste that humans leave in nature has reached every Spanish community, and two autonomous cities took part as well. The growing public concern about environmental problems was clear as the initiative expanded its reach.
The weekend campaign covered garbage collection in natural terrestrial areas, rivers, and coastal environments, drawing attention to ecologically valuable sites such as the Garganta de los Infiernos nature reserve in Cáceres, Guardamar beach in Alicante, Las Marismas Negras in Cantabria, Las Caletillas beach in Fuerteventura, the Doñana region in Huelva, Maruxento forest park in Pontevedra, and the La Ercina lake in Asturias.
Institutions supported the effort, including the Reina Sofía Foundation. Doña Sofía herself joined the waste collection team in Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, reinforcing her ongoing commitment to nature conservation and the public message behind Libera.
The Libera united against garbage project began in 2017 to address litter in Spanish ecosystems. It was created by SEO/BirdLife, the leading environmental NGO in the country, in partnership with Ecoembes, a nonprofit promoting the circular economy through packaging recycling.
Transition to circular economy
The mission remains clear: raise awareness and mobilize citizens to reduce waste in natural spaces and thereby unlock more life for biodiversity. Libera supporters advocate a comprehensive approach built on information, prevention, and participation.
This extensive network, built over five years, now counts more than 100,000 participants. The sixth national mobilization against garbage played a pivotal role as well in the recent effort.
The campaign carried a broader message about moving toward a circular economy. It emphasized turning waste into a resource while backing scientific, educational, and informative institutions with prestige.
Participants included dozens of city councils and national brands along with provincial and regional authorities. Towns such as Burgos, Santander, Almansa, and Inca joined, along with national parks like Guadarrama and Cabrera and several hydrographic confederations such as Guadiana and Tagus.
Miguel López, the organizational director for SEO/BirdLife, noted growing public awareness of the garbage problem. He stressed that pollution from human waste in nature harms biodiversity and health, and he called for changes in production and consumption models to address the issue.
“An unstoppable citizen movement”
The 1m2 against garbage campaign is seen as an unstoppable citizen movement. Volunteers describe a rising alertness to garbage in nature and a determination to end the problem. Doña Sofía’s involvement is viewed as crucial for highlighting the work being done to improve natural spaces.
Commenting on the impact, the campaign leadership highlighted that garbage is everyone’s responsibility and that the Libera movement demonstrates a shared path to solutions. Doña Sofía’s participation was especially acknowledged for giving visibility to these efforts.
Libera’s 2021 report outlines notable outcomes. More than 100,000 participants from over 1,900 public and private organizations collected upwards of 430 tons of garbage. More than 600,000 waste items were cataloged across more than 4,700 locations in Spain. The report underscored Libera’s role in opening a public dialogue about abandoning waste in nature and inspiring a wide range of stakeholders to engage in the conversation.
The initiative helped popularize the term basuraleza, a blend of garbage and nature used to describe waste left in the environment. It marks a shift in vocabulary and awareness that resonates across sectors from academics to media and everyday citizens.
Libera’s 2021 results are summarized in a report available through Libera’s program materials, with ongoing discussions across environmental agencies and educational networks about maintaining momentum and expanding impact.
For broader context, Libera’s activities and findings are shared with audiences through organizational summaries and educational materials aimed at informing the public about the environmental consequences of litter and the benefits of a circular economy.”