Hector Bellerin pledges to keep speaking up on social issues including plastic pollution
Thursday 4 October 2018 19:24, UK
Hector Bellerin says he will continue to use his platform as a Premier League footballer to raise awareness of the scourge of single-use plastics.
Bellerin, who grew up in a fishing village near Barcelona, told Sky Sports News in May he was proud to see Arsenal's rivals Tottenham pledge their support for Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign during the 2017/18 season.
More than eight million tonnes of plastic is thrown away each year and washed out to sea, and Bellerin believes as a society we must confront the issue head-on.
"With the platform we have, we should be the people that scream at these social issues and put them out there, so as a society we can move forward," Bellerin told Arsenal Player.
"Plastic is a massive issue as well. Growing up in the coastline of Barcelona and going back now and seeing all this rubbish in the sea - when I enjoyed it as a kid - makes me sad for the next generations.
"When I raise these issues I always have a backlash in terms of 'you should just stick to football' but it is not about that. There are problems that everyone can see but some people try to hide them."
Sky Ocean Rescue aims to help everyone make simple everyday changes to stop our oceans drowning in plastic. Find out more about the issues affecting our oceans and how you can #PassOnPlastic by visiting skyoceanrescue.com.
