The Cypriot Movement #Potavristou by AKTI Continues to Grow Globally

Over 110 Tons of Waste Collected and 17,000 Volunteers From 2,095 Locations Worldwide in Just 7 Years!

The FastForward News Team

04 Nov 2025

Over 20 tons of litter were collected by 3,734 volunteers from 425 sites worldwide during September 2025, marking the seventh consecutive September of the #potavristou campaign organized by AKTI Project and Research Centre. This year’s campaign surpassed last year’s record of 16 tons collected by 3,200 volunteers from 373 locations in Cyprus and abroad, taking the Cypriot movement to new parts of the world: from the Philippines to Marseille, and from Texas to Iceland, #potavristou volunteers cleaned cities, coasts, mountains, parks, and lakes, sending back valuable field data.

A striking 89% of the waste collected was plastic!

In just seven years, the #Potavristou campaign has mobilized over 17,000 volunteers and removed a massive 110 tons of waste from 2,095 sites in Cyprus and around the world. That’s 110 tons of trash that would have otherwise been swept away by the first rains, ending up in the sea, and eventually back in our lives as microplastics.

Since 2019, the #potavristou initiative has crossed Cyprus’s borders:

In 2020, it was awarded by the international organization Ocean Conservancy as one of the 10 most innovative global actions for clean coasts and seas.
In 2021, it was recognized by the Mediterranean NGO network for environment and culture (MIO-ECSDE).
In 2022, the #potavristou campaign once again received support from Ocean Conservancy through the #TeamSeas campaign and won a Silver Award at the Carob Awards 2022.
In 2024, it received a special mention at the Society4Med Awards organized by BlueMissionMed under the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, in the category “Awareness and Communication Campaigns/Activities.”
In 2025, AKTI received the European Citizens’ Gold Award, presented during the Delphi Economic Forum by Europa Nostra, recognizing 25 years of pioneering work in sustainability across Cyprus and Europe. The #potavristou campaign was highlighted by the committee as one of the organization’s most innovative and pioneering initiatives.