25 innovative solutions to combat plastic marine litter: A unique tool for businesses, entrepreneurs and civil society organizations in the Med Region to take action

12 Diciembre 2017 | Actualizado: 18 Diciembre 2017

•     A new publication of UN Environment/MAP – SCP/RAC intends to inspire and provide practical indications to implement marine litter solutions in the Mediterranean region.
•   Download it now.
•      SCP/RAC and SwitchMed support entrepreneurs and CSOs to take action through technical assistance and seed funding. These solutions not only would benefit the environment in the MENA region, but also provide socio-economic development.

Plastic Marine Litter is today a global concern. It comprises up to 95% of the waste accumulated on shorelines, the ocean and sea surface and floors. Most marine litter originates from land-based sources and can have severe environmental, health and economic consequences.

Yet, solutions to prevent plastic to end up as marine litter exist and have already proved to be effective. Most of these solutions build on a circular economy approach, which puts the emphasis on preventing waste and on recycling and reuse of materials and products in the first place.

The Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP/RAC), with the support of the SwitchMed Programme, has identified 25 eco-innovative solutions to prevent or minimize the use of persistent plastics liable to end up as marine litter, which can be easily replicated in the Middle-East North-Africa (MENA) region.

The “25 innovative and inspiring solutions to combat plastic marine litter in the Mediterranean Region” publication is conceived as a practical tool for entrepreneurs and CSOs to identify the best solution for their context and be guided toward its successful implementation.

The 25 solutions have been prioritized through a multi-criteria analysis of their effectiveness and replicability in the MENA region. They have been grouped following the different stages of the product-to-waste chain. Some example to take inspiration from are:

A solution addressing the design & production stage, which proves to be the most effective way to tackle marine litter, is the Cora Ball: this is a device to be used in the washing machine that collects microfibers as well as hairs and prevents them from flowing out with the drain water.

Our current use & consumption pattern is addressed by other initiatives, such as “Bye bye plastic”, a young and dynamic action driven by a volunteer team of 25-30 students in Bali and aiming at convincing the island to go plastic bag-free.

Among the innovative Collection & waste transfer measures, Antivolabossa is a smart device to prevent the wind form blowing bin sacks away used in the city of Barcelona.

Last but not least, recycling solutions are also proposed, such as the inspiring Thread whose mission is to create dignified jobs and high-performance fabrics by transforming plastic bottles from the street and canals of Haiti and Honduras into responsible fabrics.

Numerous events related to marine litter will soon take place where SCP/RAC will spread the word about the 25 solutions, such as the Innovation Forum on plastic (London, 26-27^th October) and the UfM Regional Stakeholder Conference on Blue Economy (Naples, 39-30^th November). Finally, SCP/RAC will host a Mediterranean Marine Litter Week in Barcelona (6-10^th November) including a joint event between UNEP/MAP and Basel-Rotterdam-Stockholm (BRS) Regional and Coordinating Centres.

A French version of the publication is under preparation as well.You can also download it here. 

SCP/RAC calls on green entrepreneurs, CSOs, innovators and change-makers in the Mediterranean to take action and promote circular economy in their countries: in doing so, they will also contribute to the implementation of the first legally-binding Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter Management and the SCP Regional Action Plan.

So, ready to adopt one these solutions?