Project duration: 08/2023 – 06/2024 

Status: ON-GOING 

The challenge 

Marine litter represents one of the fastest growing threats to the Adriatic Sea with a large environmental and economic consequence, and a large part of its volume is plastic waste. According to the assessment of the main findings on the environmental quality and pollution of the Adriatic the level of floating litters in the Adriatic is relatively higher compared to the rest of Mediterranean Sea and there is important share of plastic (>80%) among landed debris (litters). Globally, the problem of marine waste stands out as one of the three biggest threats to marine ecosystems. 

The solution

Projekt ima za cilj doprinijeti pružanju podataka o raspodjeli morskog otpada putem edukacije te jačanju kapaciteta lokalnih otočnih zajednica i organizacija za provedbu akcija čišćenja i praćenja. Razvit će se mreža lokalnih inicijativa/udruga/organizacija s dalmatinskih otoka kako bi se aktivno uključili u prikupljanje podataka o morskom otpadu i plastičnom zagađenju te radili na održivom gospodarenju otpadom i primjeni načela smanjenja otpada na otocima. Projekt će također ojačati lokalne i nacionalne aktivnosti zagovaranja o održivom gospodarenju otpadom i primjeni načela smanjenja otpada na otocima.

Project’s deliverables

• In order to successfully organize clean-up actions and expand knowledge about the implementation and collection of data on marine litter, education will be organized for project partners. Additionally, the capacities of partners will be strengthened for advocacy on the topic of marine litter, sustainable waste management, and the principle of reduction in the involved local communities.
• The organization of 4 clean-up actions with monitoring and data collection will be conducted. This data will be utilized in advocating for sustainable waste management in local communities and at the local level. Cleaning actions will be organized based on the Protocol for the implementation of cleaning actions.
• A joint communication initiative will be implemented to advocate for the issue of marine litter, as well as for sustainable waste management and the implementation of the reduction principle, aiming to raise awareness and foster behavioral change within communities.

Project updates

Insight into the organizations

The Association for Nature, Environment, and Sustainable Development – Sunce, a leading civil-society organization in Croatia, advocates for environmentally responsible solutions. With 25 years of experience, they focus on nature protection, waste management, and environmental law. Their goals for 2021-2026 include sustainable waste management and marine litter monitoring. Since 2014, they’ve been active in marine litter projects and have organized 27 clean-up actions, collecting 5,822.41 kg of waste. They emphasize reducing single-use plastic and have implemented initiatives like Plastic Smart Cities. Their efforts have garnered interest from other Croatian municipalities and islands, contributing to establishing plastic-free zones in natural parks and protected areas.