Plastic-Busters: working towards a Mediterranean free of litter
Discussion details
Plastic-Busters, a project of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), aims to effectively tackle the issue of marine litter in the Mediterranean. With a total budget of 8,810 M Euros over a 4-year period (from 2016 – 2020), the project will assess the amount, sources, pathways, distribution convergence areas and effects of marine litter in order to better mitigate and reduce the impact of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea.
The project directly supports the implementation of the UNEP/MAP Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean, linking and contributing also to the global Honolulu Strategy framework for prevention and management of Marine Debris. The project is also in line with the recommendations of the UfM Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate Change (May 2014) and the UfM Ministerial on Blue Economy (November 2015).
Marine litter has become a major pollution problem affecting all of the world seas. Increased levels of marine litter originate largely from land based activities (~80%). Waste generation in the southern Mediterranean region has grown approximately 15 % over the last decade; mostly due to a growing population and increased consumption. According to the European Environmental Agency (EEA), the average amount of municipal solid waste produced in the EU is 520 kg per person/year and is projected to increase to 680 kg per person/year by 2020.
Under the Plastic-Buster project, a series of concrete prevention and mitigation actions and approaches are intended to be developed, tested and promoted in several pilot areas in the Mediterranean basin. Fishing for litter, the removal and collection of derelict fishing gear and establishing recycling mechanisms are some examples of such actions.
The project further foresees a wide range of actions to enhance the awareness of stakeholders and promote change in their perceptions and attitudes towards waste.
You can find more information on the project by visiting the Plastic-Buster website or downloading the project brochure.
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More on UfM
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is an intergovernmental organisation bringing together the 28 European Union Member States and 15 countries from the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean. It provides a unique forum to enhance regional cooperation and dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
More on UNEP / MAP
The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) is a regional cooperative effort involving 21 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the European Union. Through the MAP, these Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols are determined to meet the challenges of protecting the marine and coastal environment while boosting regional and national plans to achieve sustainable development.
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