13.2.4 Marine Plastic Litter
Chapter 9 discusses the marine litter issue in the Mediterranean Sea through two
EIT Climate-KIC (2020a) - funded projects BL.EU. Climate (Climate Innovation in
Southern Waters), which is implemented in 2019 and MEDFreeSUP (tacking singleuse plastic item uses in the Easter Mediterranean Sea), which is the follow-up
project, and it will be implemented in the period 2020–2021. The methodology
used by BL.EU. Climate (2020) project conducted an extensive stakeholder mapping
in all case studies in Greece, Portugal and Croatia, validating through interviews and
surveys targeting key challenge owners (e.g. fishermen and tourists); presenting the
outcomes at different workshops conducted in each country seeking to trigger
discussions among the participants on potential solutions to prevent, reduce and
collect marine litter; focusing mostly on plastics; and designing a strategic roadmap
by all three countries, identifying measures to reduce the negative effects caused by
plastic waste in the future, supporting policymakers, industries, consumers and civil
society to improve systems design, replacement, refuse, recycling and reuse of
plastic.
The BL.EU. Climate study found that one of the greatest barriers in Greece is the
knowledge gap across stakeholders. Most of the respondents understand that the
natural environment is at crisis, and this is caused mainly by anthropogenic factors.
However, the most affected by marine litter actors (e.g. fishermen and tourists) seem
to lack a basic understanding of the marine plastic pollution and its detrimental
effects on the marine ecosystems, as well as the existence of European Directives on
plastics. Fishermen specifically seem to know about the marine litter problem, but
they ignore the impacts on their professional and personal life, especially about the
microplastics and how they end up in the food change. Another contradictory
outcome of the study was that besides the environmental responsibility was perceived as significant by the majority of tourists, their WTP for environmentally
friendly services were comparatively lower to their WTP for a renting better facility.
However, when the cost factor was removed from the decision-making choice, the
respondents were willing to adapt their needs.
Finally, the project produced a 10-year roadmap identifying the actions that are
needed to be taken by the policymakers, the private sector and the society in the
future in different time spots to tackle the plastic issue. Top priorities appear to be
education and private initiatives in combination with regulation and policy implementation (e.g. circular economy strategy). Education is key to comprehend the
damages of plastic and how it affects public health, while the awareness raise could
bridge the knowledge gap of adults, who have completed their secondary education.
A pioneer in driving change can be the private sector by implementing circular
economy models and creating opportunities supported by complementary laws and
strategies.
13 Conclusions and Recommendations
251
Chapter 9 discusses the marine litter issue in the Mediterranean Sea through two
EIT Climate-KIC (2020a) - funded projects BL.EU. Climate (Climate Innovation in
Southern Waters), which is implemented in 2019 and MEDFreeSUP (tacking singleuse plastic item uses in the Easter Mediterranean Sea), which is the follow-up
project, and it will be implemented in the period 2020–2021. The methodology
used by BL.EU. Climate (2020) project conducted an extensive stakeholder mapping
in all case studies in Greece, Portugal and Croatia, validating through interviews and
surveys targeting key challenge owners (e.g. fishermen and tourists); presenting the
outcomes at different workshops conducted in each country seeking to trigger
discussions among the participants on potential solutions to prevent, reduce and
collect marine litter; focusing mostly on plastics; and designing a strategic roadmap
by all three countries, identifying measures to reduce the negative effects caused by
plastic waste in the future, supporting policymakers, industries, consumers and civil
society to improve systems design, replacement, refuse, recycling and reuse of
plastic.
The BL.EU. Climate study found that one of the greatest barriers in Greece is the
knowledge gap across stakeholders. Most of the respondents understand that the
natural environment is at crisis, and this is caused mainly by anthropogenic factors.
However, the most affected by marine litter actors (e.g. fishermen and tourists) seem
to lack a basic understanding of the marine plastic pollution and its detrimental
effects on the marine ecosystems, as well as the existence of European Directives on
plastics. Fishermen specifically seem to know about the marine litter problem, but
they ignore the impacts on their professional and personal life, especially about the
microplastics and how they end up in the food change. Another contradictory
outcome of the study was that besides the environmental responsibility was perceived as significant by the majority of tourists, their WTP for environmentally
friendly services were comparatively lower to their WTP for a renting better facility.
However, when the cost factor was removed from the decision-making choice, the
respondents were willing to adapt their needs.
Finally, the project produced a 10-year roadmap identifying the actions that are
needed to be taken by the policymakers, the private sector and the society in the
future in different time spots to tackle the plastic issue. Top priorities appear to be
education and private initiatives in combination with regulation and policy implementation (e.g. circular economy strategy). Education is key to comprehend the
damages of plastic and how it affects public health, while the awareness raise could
bridge the knowledge gap of adults, who have completed their secondary education.
A pioneer in driving change can be the private sector by implementing circular
economy models and creating opportunities supported by complementary laws and
strategies.
13 Conclusions and Recommendations
251