Storyline: Senegalese volunteers played their part to keep the country's coastline clean by cleaning up beaches in the coastal town of Bargny on Thursday, which marked World Environment Day, helping raise public awareness on the need to conserve the environment. Located just 15 kilometers from the capital Dakar, Bargny is known for its beautiful beaches and diverse marine life. However, the picturesque town has been blighted by an unwanted plastic problem, as all kinds of waste, from shoes, nappies, electrical goods and even destroyed boats accumulate on the sandy shores. Senegal boasts vast beaches and diverse marine life which make it a hot tourism destination, but the increasing piles of rubbish along the shoreline threatens to keep visitors away. The clean-up project around Bargny is being supported by Zero Waste Senegal, an environmental protection association working to sustainably manage waste. Most of the volunteers involved are young people from local neighborhoods, and the organization is keen for them to spread a positive message about being responsible for the environment. According to the association, most of the 270,000 tons of plastic thrown away in the country every year is not properly treated, with just around 60 percent of it collected and only 10 percent being recycled. Given how much of this waste finds its way into the ocean, the organization says the problem has a serious impact on wildlife, as a number of seabirds and other animals eat the discarded plastic, while some even die of suffocation. In light of this, conservationists says more needs to be done to reduce plastic waste. Senegal passed a law banning the use of plastic bags back in 2021, but implementing the measure has been difficult and waste continues to pile up in the most unlikely of places. Despite the challenges, volunteers say that collecting all manner of waste and keeping the ocean clean remains a deeply satisfying task, as does raising public awareness and encouraging more people to do their bit to keep the environment clean. Led by the United Nations Environment Program and held annually on June 5 since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. Shotlist: Bargny, Senegal - June 5, 2025: 1. Various of plastic garbage on beach 2. Various of volunteers clearing, sorting garbage on beach 3. SOUNDBITE (French) Coutta Badji, official, local tourism department: "Taking care of this environment is very important because it's part of sustainable tourism which is essential for us. Additionally, considering we're in June at the beginning of the summer season when guests start coming to the beach for vacation, we conduct the beach cleaning this month." 4. Various of vehicle, volunteer students gathering for beach cleaning project 5. SOUNDBITE (French) Abdoulaye Sene, member, Zero Waste Senegal (starting with shot 4): "Children are our future, and getting them involved in this at an early age helps cultivate a culture of model citizenship. It enables them to participate in waste collection while exploring alternative solutions to plastic pollution. Bringing them onboard is an important thing for us too." 6. Various of students clearing, collecting garbage on beach 7. SOUNDBITE (French) Babacar Seck, environmental expert: "We are committed to environmental management, considering global warming and all other factors that will have a negative impact on our environment. We recommend working with the young and giving them better environmental education." 8. Various of table, posters advising on environmental awareness 9. Various of volunteers sorting garbage 10. Various of small boat leaving shore 11. Various of waves at beach. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]