SOCIETY

In 2023 elin collaborated with Aegean Rebreath and the Blue Municipalities Network, in the framework of its Corporate Responsibility program, "othisi", for the creation and implementation of a program to raise awareness and educate local communities against fuel and lubricant pollution in the marine environment. The cooperation with the Organization and the Blue Municipalities Network focuses on protecting the country's marine waters and the environment in general.

With the key message that "No source of pollution is insignificant", this action stands out for its innovative approach, but also for its complexity and the high requirements for its implementation. Aiming to provide a holistic approach in terms of information, education, and awareness-raising on the effective management of marine pollution, the initiative consists of two pillars:

Pillar 1) The company's employees, experts in pollution management, visited along with representatives of Aegean Rebreath 4 islands of the Blue Municipalities Network (Santorini, Alonissos, Lefkada, Poros) and shared with representatives of port funds and professional fishermen valuable knowledge in order to actively contribute to the conservation and protection of the marine environment. The presence of the island mayors in the informative and training program implemented on each island was substantial, as they embraced the initiative and contributed to the awareness and direct involvement of local communities, recognizing the value of the program and the positive impact it can bring.

Pillar 2) At the same time, in conjunction with the training sessions of the local communities during the islands' visit, the program included the donation of anti-pollution equipment on behalf of elin to each of the municipalities concerned. Each anti-fouling equipment kit included: anti-fouling towels and barriers, necessary personal protection equipment, and materials suitable for storing the used equipment in case of pollution.

This equipment contributed to ensuring that local authorities and professional fishermen had at their disposal all the necessary tools to deal effectively with islands' pollution, ensuring the protection of the islands' marine ecosystem.

The program's innovation lies not only in its content but also in the collaboration of the parties involved. Recognizing that without the involvement of experts and local authorities themselves, the action would not have such an impact, elin decided to cooperate with the multi-purpose organization Aegean Rebreath and the Blue Municipalities Network, a network of municipalities.

Furthermore, the program itself is not just a theoretical transfer of knowledge to fishermen and port funds, but a substantial and complete training divided into two parts, the theoretical one  (information on how to prevent and deal with a pollution incident and its consequences for the marine ecosystem) and the practical one (training on how to use the tools of the anti-pollution equipment).