Marine pollution from plastic waste, Styrofoam, nets, and other debris poses a serious environmental threat, with the condition of Greek coastlines highlighting the scale of the problem. For the past six years, the “Typhoon” — the flagship vessel of the Typhoon Project — has been on the frontlines, spearheaded by the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Public Benefit Foundation.

At 72 meters long, with five inflatable boats and a permanent crew of 35, the “Typhoon” sails the Greek coasts year-round, focusing on cleaning remote and hard-to-access beaches where pollution accumulates dangerously. It is the only vessel in the Mediterranean with a mission dedicated exclusively to coastal cleanup.

Before

After

The results of the Typhoon Project are impressive. In nearly six years, the “Typhoon” team has cleaned over 3,748 beaches, covering 841,000 linear meters of coastline, removing 768 tons of waste and more than 35,670 cubic meters in volume. An astounding 17,862,000 pieces of litter — ranging from tiny Styrofoam bits to massive tires and ghost nets — were carefully removed, piece by piece. Much of this waste is believed to originate from land-based sources or poorly managed fish farms, an issue urgently needing state intervention.

To visualize the scale of the collected waste, the Foundation released charts showing that the total volume exceeds that of iconic European monuments — including Big Ben and the Leaning Tower of Pisa — clearly illustrating the pollution levels on Greek shores.

It took four years of continuous work to complete the first round of cleaning across all island coastlines and part of the mainland, revealing heavy pollution burdens. However, the true impact of the project was evident during the second round of cleanups, which began in February 2023 — showing an 80% average improvement in previously cleaned areas.

In Crete, beaches showed a 78% improvement. In Paros and Thasos, improvement hit 100%, and on the tiny islet of Agios Georgios in the Saronic Gulf, the improvement was 83%, despite the immense waste originally found there, mostly from nearby fish farms.

The “Typhoon” recently completed its second cleanup cycle on the Athos Peninsula in Mount Athos, showing an 88% improvement in coastal cleanliness. Its journey continues to Lemnos — a landmark island for the project, where the team previously stayed for 122 days. A notable deployment also occurred in Magnesia, where the team remained for seven months cleaning flood-stricken shores hit by Storm Daniel.

Beyond direct cleanup, the Typhoon Project has generated a valuable data trove. Every item collected is weighed, recorded, and entered into a comprehensive database maintained by the Foundation. This database — among the most detailed globally — has attracted the scientific community’s interest, leading to collaborations with the University of Patras, the University of the Aegean, the Technical University of Crete, and soon, Imperial College London.

Through this ongoing mission, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Public Benefit Foundation proves that environmental protection can become reality — with persistence, planning, and action.