The figures were released by Gui Menezes, regional secretary of the sea, science and technology in the framework of a campaign called "zero waste" that will be taking place in the archipelago to raise awareness regarding plastic pollution.

"Statistics show that every year, around 10 to 12 tonnes of litter is cleaned up on the coastal areas of the Azores," Menezes said, adding that civil society was increasingly aware of the problem and had mobilised to carry out campaigns to clean the coastal areas affected.

Menezes was speaking to journalists in the beach of Porto Pim, in the island of Faial, one of the beaches of the region that most accumulates litter due to its location, which is more exposed to marine currents.

"It is a more confined bay and unfortunately a lot of plastic of smaller scale is accumulated here," he said, adding that for this reason, the beach was one of the most monitored in the region.

He also recalled that the regional Socialist government had launched a series of initiatives to reduce disposable plastic and to produce less plastic in the future.