Organized by AIESEC in University of Kelaniya

Over 160 passionate young individuals from Sri Lanka and across the globe gathered at Wellawatte Beach on July 20th for Wavez 2025, a comprehensive yet eye-opening environmental initiative that demonstrated the power of youth-led conservation action.

The event featured two core activities: an Awareness Walk and a Beach Cleanup which were designed to extend beyond traditional cleanup activities, focusing on creating lasting environmental consciousness and empowering participants to become advocates for ocean conservation.

The program commenced with an address from Subahsi Tania de Silva, a prominent journalist and climate activist. Her presentation highlighted the critical role of youth in driving climate action and emphasized the importance of active public engagement in environmental protection efforts. The session provided participants with valuable context and motivation for the day’s activities.

Beginning at 9:00 AM near St. Peter’s College, Colombo 04, participants conducted an Awareness Walk along Galle Road and Marine Drive to Wellawatte Beach. The procession featured educational banners and engaged with the public to communicate messages about ocean protection and coastal pollution prevention. The diverse participant group included AIESEC members, international volunteers, university society representatives, institutional clubs, and community members, reflecting broad-based support for environmental stewardship initiatives.

At the beach location, The Pearl Protectors, serving as an Official Community Impact Partner, conducted a comprehensive training session. This youth-led marine conservation organization provided participants with essential knowledge regarding proper cleanup protocols, waste identification and sorting procedures, hygiene maintenance, and safety guidelines.

The Climate Intelligence Network, another Official Community Impact Partner, introduced their #TrackTheTrash Challenge, transforming the cleanup into a systematic data collection exercise. This citizen science initiative enables participants to analyze waste types and sources, promoting accountability through brand audits and empowering participants with real-time reporting capabilities for sustained environmental advocacy.

Environmental responsibility was further demonstrated through partnership with Parley for the Oceans, who supplied reusable gloves and gunny bags, eliminating single-use items from cleanup operations.

Despite challenging weather conditions, participants maintained high levels of engagement and successfully cleaned nearly one kilometer of heavily polluted shoreline. The substantial volume of collected waste highlighted both the scale of environmental challenges and the effectiveness of coordinated action.

Neptune Recyclers, the event’s Official Recycling Partner, managed responsible processing of all collected materials. Total waste recovery reached 161.3 kilograms, categorized as follows:

• PET Bottles: 45.0 kg
• Glass: 76.0 kg
• Other Plastics: 38.5 kg
• Aluminum: 2.0 kg
• Other Mixed Waste (non-recyclables): 17.8 kg

The participation of Miss Sri Lanka Earth 2022 Udani Senanayake, Miss Earth Water Sri Lanka 2024 Tushani Vidurangi, and Public Speaking Coach and Stand-up Comedian Mr. Anderson enhanced the event’s outreach capacity. Their involvement demonstrated the importance of public figures in environmental advocacy and helped amplify conservation messages to broader audiences.

Alliance Finance Company PLC, Aroma Bliss Ceylon, and Freelan Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd provided essential sponsorship support, enabling organizers to maximize impact and reach. Their contributions facilitated comprehensive programming and enhanced participant engagement.

The success of Wavez 2025 extends beyond immediate environmental impact to encompass knowledge transfer, commitment building, and purpose development among participants. The event showcased that while coastal pollution presents ongoing challenges, sustained youth engagement, education, and advocacy create meaningful long-term change.

This way, Wavez 2025 successfully combined immediate environmental benefits with long-term capacity building, creating a replicable model for sustainable youth engagement in ocean conservation. The initiative reinforced the principle that environmental protection requires collective action and shared responsibility. While the enthusiasm and dedication of participants confirm that young people, when provided with appropriate education, tools, and opportunities, become effective agents of environmental change, this event represents a significant contribution to ongoing efforts to foster environmental stewardship and create meaningful pathways for youth engagement in ocean conservation initiatives.

This success of this initiative establishes a solid foundation for potential youth-led environmental actions to create lasting positive impact on conservation efforts.