BioDesign Foundation partners with Foiling Week for Coastal Conservation Initiative & Beach Clean-Up

BioDesign Foundation partners with Foiling Week for Coastal Conservation Initiative & Beach Clean-Up © BioDesign Foundation

The international BioDesign Foundation recently established a base in Pensacola, Florida as the first base in the United States, thanks to Foiling Week, a World Sailing Special Event.

To kick off the partnership and commitment to sustainability, BioDesign is hosting a Beach Clean Up from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 1 of Foiling Week, meeting at the Bob Sikes South Fishing Pier on the Santa Rosa Sound.

Bringing forward the material and conceptual inheritance of Luigi Colani, one of the 20th century's most visionary designers, the Foundation is dedicated to tackling environmental problems at their source. In 2023 BioDesign Foundation launched an innovative format to clean vast areas of plastic pollution, in occasion of The Ocean Race's arrival in Genoa. As a Sustainability Guest for the Ocean Race, the Foundation introduced The Custodians Plastic Race, a race against time to remove dispersed plastic from nature.

Foiling, Colani, and Sustainability

Luigi Colani is renowned for his commitment to organic shapes and aerodynamic design. Architectural Digest recognized him as "the most influential designer of the 20th century," reflecting his impactful legacy. His 90/10 formula—90% inspiration from nature and 10% transformation—forms the bedrock of BioDesign. This methodology emphasizes that human innovation relies heavily on a thriving natural world.

Colani's focus on energy-efficient mobility solutions includes pioneering foiling technologies. The BioDesign Foundation proudly champions a vision of harmony between humanity, technology, and nature at Foiling Week. This global event celebrates foiling boats and boards and brings together athletes, designers, and manufacturers.

The microplastics problem and Foiling Week Beach Clean Up event

Plastic pollution poses significant threats beyond mere aesthetic issues. Ongoing research highlights the health risks associated with micro- and nanoplastics (MNP), including links to cardiovascular diseases and other serious health concerns.

To address these challenges, BioDesign Foundation is promoting a comprehensive beach cleanup during Foiling Week, rallying collective efforts to confront the shared issue of plastic pollution with a guiding philosophy of "All Together Now." Thanks to a strong partnership with "Sail Pensacola," which fosters competitive sailing and technological advancement in Pensacola Bay, the Foundation's mission is poised for a promising future in the region.

This beach cleanup on Saturday, March 1, from 8 to 10 a.m. is integrated into the Foundation's initiative, The Custodians Plastic Race, which originated in Italy and is now being globally exported.

The Custodians Plastic Race: a global challenge for nature

The Custodians Plastic Race initiative represents a collective action against plastic pollution, aimed at improving public health and biodiversity while preventing the formation and dispersion of microplastics. The Custodians Plastic Race has successfully created a diverse task force. Institutional bodies, including the Navy, Coast Guard, Finance Guard, and Civil Defense, along with companies, NGOs, academic institutions, and volunteer groups, collaborate to carry out simultaneous cleanup actions across vast territories.

At the core of this initiative is The Custodians App, which enables users to geolocate areas in need of intervention. From October 6 to 12, 2025, the National Clean-up Week will take place in Italy, where the initiative first began, uniting institutions, companies, associations, armed forces, and citizens in the first coordinated effort to clean up the whole Italian lands, coasts and seabed. Following this, the format will be exported and replicated in every country where the Foundation operates.

The Custodians App

The Custodians App, available on all app stores, empowers citizens to actively participate in the fight against plastic dispersed in nature. Developed in partnership with ETT, the app's intuitive interface allows users to geolocate and report contaminated areas, contributing to a global database that tracks environmental pollution. Users can document the exact location, upload photos, and provide detailed descriptions of identified contamination events.

This database serves as the central hub for The Custodians Plastic Race, aiming to mobilize individuals from all sectors to clean the planet during national stages. The progress of cleanup efforts is represented through a color-coded system: red pins signify polluted sites, yellow pins indicate sites assigned to cleanup teams, blue pins denote completed cleanups with bags of collected trash ready for disposal, and green pins represent areas restored to their natural state.

For more information visit thecustodians.org

As the Foundation tackles the pervasive issue of plastic pollution, it is essential for everyone to get involved, as this challenge affects us all. The BioDesign Foundation's presence at Foiling Week in Pensacola marks an exciting milestone, as it is the first time this innovative initiative has made its way across the ocean. With collective effort and community participation, The Custodians Plastic Race will thrive in the U.S. and beyond, fostering a united commitment to protect our environment for future generations.