MarViva: Plastic

"Plastic", a classical song by Ruben Blades, heads MarViva and McCann Panama campaign that draws attention to disposable plastic. Annually more than 800 species of marine animals are affected by plastic waste, including all species of sea turtles, more than 40% of cetaceans and 44% of seabirds. Likewise, about 75% of the plastic generated by the COVID-19 pandemic such as masks, gloves and disinfectant bottles will become waste that will reach spillways and seas, according to the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In this context, and during the week that Earth Day is being commemorated and celebrates its 50th anniversary on April 22, Rubén Blades, Fundación MarViva and McCann Panama joined forces and developed the “Reusing Plastic” campaign. The initiative, which has the support of Blades Productions INC, reuses one of the most important salsa classics of the Latin American artist to call on society to become aware of a problem that could lead to the amount of this waste in the oceans tripling to 2040. The new use of the lyrics of the song Plastic states “She was a plastic girl, like others I see around. He was a plastic boy, like others I see around. They were a plastic couple, like those I see around. It was a plastic city, like those I´d rather not see. People who sold out of convenience their freedom and reason to live.”