Our current view of the world and the way we live our lives have led us to the problems we face on a daily basis and are steering us away from a sustainable society. Achieving good environmental status for the sea therefore requires fundamental changes to our value system and our relationship with nature and its resources. A new paradigm of a low-carbon and sustainable society, which preserves its resources and ecosystems in good condition, will need to permeate our daily lives and become deeply embedded in the social structure, culture, values and everyday practices.
Within the framework of the Marine Environment Management Plan for the period 2017–2021, one of the measures to ensure the good status of the marine environment and/or to improve it is measure D1-D11:UU8(1b): Informing, raising awareness and educating the public about water management, which includes the activity of preparing a proposal for the inclusion of the issue of marine litter in the education system and public awareness-raising. The issue of marine litter can be presented to the widest possible audience through public education in primary and secondary schools.
The material has been prepared by staff from the Marine Sector at the Water Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, where we have been addressing the issue of marine litter in Slovenian waters for 13 years and were the first in the country to begin systematically monitoring marine litter and recording its impact on the environment.
The material was produced as part of the project ‘Preparation of a proposed methodology for incorporating the issue of marine litter into the education system and raising public awareness’, commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning.
The materials are intended for teachers in primary and secondary schools who would like to gain a better understanding of the issue of marine litter, find inspiration for incorporating this topic into their lessons, and thereby do something positive for the environment. Teaching materials and worksheets are available via the links below: