Beyond Plastic Med announces winners of sustainability competition

 On August 25th, Beyond Plastic Med (BeMed), an association linked to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, unveiled the winners of its competition targeting projects in the Mediterranean sea. 

With 1 to 10 million plastic particles per square kilometre, the Mediterranean is the most polluted sea in the world. This is due to intense maritime traffic but also due to mass tourism. The consequences of such pollution are all the more noticeable as it is a “closed” sea. BeMed, which fights against plastic pollution in the oceans, launched a call for projects on April 1st. The objective was finding sustainable solutions to combat plastic pollution in the Mediterranean islands.

Here are the five projects which made the cut:

• Together for zero plastic in 10 Albanian islands: This project aims to reduce plastic pollution on ten Albanian tourist islands. The project seeks to involve local councils in the development of a waste management strategy. Councils are also expected to take part in drafting regulations that limit the use of plastic on the islands.

• Plastistop: The goal of this project is to improve the collection and recycling of plastic on the island of Djerba in Tunisia. To achieve this, recycling will be introduced in 100 households and additional recycling facilities will be installed in strategic areas of the island. To raise awareness about recycling, the project will also set up workshops for the local population, tourists and fishermen.

• For plastic free Croatian Islands: This project aims to reduce the production of waste on two Croatian islands. The main goal is to reduce single-use plastic.

• Plastic Free Balearic: This project aims to establish a common “plastic free” certification in the tourism sector of the Balearic Islands. Each business will be taken into account in order to identify the best alternatives to single-use plastic for each specific case.

• “Projet pilote Zéro plastique sur l’archipel des îles d’Or et réplication en Méditerranée”: The aim of this project is to produce an alternative material to single-use plastic from Provence sugar canes in the southern French islands known as “Îles d’Or” or “Îles d’Hyères”. The material will be designed, used, sorted, and composted locally. The project also plans to implement its system in the Kerkennah Islands (Tunisia) and on the island of Tavolara (Italy).