Local authorities and environmental experts are working with Olbia Airport to return sand, pebbles and shells confiscated from tourists’ luggage to beaches on Sardinia’s famous Emerald Coast.

There will also be signs in the arrivals area of Olbia Airport warning visitors not to collect any sand or shells from beaches.

These signs will be translated into several languages.

Visitors have been known to help themselves to handfuls of the fine white – and sometimes pink – sand that has made the island’s coast a popular holiday destination, resulting in the loss of tonnes of sand each year.

Authorities at Olbia Airport carry out systematic bag checks to catch passengers smuggling sand, an offence punishable by fines of between €500 to €3000.

Over the past 10 years, they have seized around 10 tonnes of sand, according to the director of a marine reserve off Sardinia’s north-eastern coast.

Meanwhile, around 500 kilograms of sand was seized from ferry passengers last summer.

“It’s striking, because it gives us an idea of how widespread taking sand from beaches really is,” Augusto Navone, head of the Tavolara nature preserve, told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.  

His reserve, along with with forest rangers, regional authorities and the managers of Olbia Airport, signed a new agreement to return as much of the confiscated sand as possible to Sardinia’s beaches. 

Working with geologists, they identified two return sites: Porto San Paolo beach south of Olbia, which will receive the stolen sand, and the tiny island of Tavolara, where pebbles and shells will go.

Around six tonnes of sand have already been returned to Porto San Paolo, Navone said.

Many locals are also in on the initiative: towns around the island have proposed banning towels and large bags in a bid to stop tourists removing sand from the fragile coastline, whether deliberately or accidentally.

“Every grain of sand is a piece of our future disappearing,” said regional councillor for environmental protection, Gianni Lampis, as the new accord was signed.

 “We have to explain to young people that we must fight such behaviour.”