If we observe our planet from afar, we will notice the dominant blue color, which certainly indicates the abundance of water that makes it up. Only 29% of its surface is land, and as much as 71% is water. No other known celestial body has liquid water on its surface, and the Earth bathes in it. Water as an essential resource plays a key role in sustaining life on Earth, as it is necessary for all biological processes, thus supporting ecosystems, agriculture and human health.
Most of the water is in the oceans and seas, as much as 97%, and then an important question arises – Why don’t we preserve this wealth of nature that was given to us better?
Statistics say that every year, twelve million metric tons of plastic are thrown into the ocean. As a result, the ocean becomes more acidic, which puts all marine life at risk. Ocean pollution is on track to triple by 2060! Three billion people rely on fish as their main source of protein. In developing countries, fishing is an integral part of the economy. Without a healthy marine ecosystem, the livelihood of coastal communities is in jeopardy.
However, there are always those who are aware of these statistics and make efforts to change in order to make their community better and healthier. Such an example is certainly the OGYRE global community, which consists of lovers of water, oceans, seas, fishermen and noble companies who have one common goal, which is the protection of the world’s most precious resource: water and the sea.
Following the example of its parent group – Unipol, DDOR osiguranje, as a company dedicated to sustainable development, joined this great community in the desire to contribute to preservation of our blue planet.
DDOR, inspired by the activities of its parent Unipol Group, allocated funds to purchase O-bottles that are made of BPA-free material. In particular, our company acquired 1,000 such bottles, which enabled investment in the removal of 1 ton of marine waste and thus contributed to the regeneration of the Mediterranean Sea, which is the choice of the largest number of inhabitants of our country.
How does the OGYRE community work?
OGYRE fishermen bring their daily catch of plastic marine waste to a designated area on the coast, where it is further analyzed and categorized, then measured and photographed. Collected images and data are sorted by contribution and posted on private dashboards of OGYRE community members, so they can clearly see the results achieved thanks to their support and contribution. After that, it is handed over to the organization in charge of waste disposal.
Unfortunately, fishermen increasingly find huge amounts of waste (bags, bottles, lotion bottles, toys…) in their nets when fishing. For example, one of the most successful fishermen on 19.09.2023. caught as much as 124.14 kg of marine garbage. Currently, within OGYRE, 57 fishermen are involved in the marine litter removal program, but the process of expanding the network of fishermen is underway to meet the goal for 2024, which is the collection and disposal of 1,534,000 kg of waste, while 409,119 kg have been collected so far.
As a reminder, DDOR has established a strong platform for using renewable electricity, recycling, supporting the Green Agenda, raising people’s awareness about plastic pollution and its devastating effects on the oceans, protecting natural ecosystems and restoring biodiversity. In addition, our company launched and successfully implements the campaign “For the forest in your neighborhood”, it has included electric vehicles in its fleet and is actively working to improve the energy efficiency of all its business premises. The company’s commitment to high ESG standards in business has been recognized and awarded by the Italian industrial association Confindustria Serbia.