The European Union's Commitment to Litter-Free Coastal Communities
The increasing presence of litter in our oceans is a major environmental concern, threatening marine life and human health. Addressing this issue requires international cooperation as waste moves across borders through land, rivers, and seas. Effective solutions demand the collaboration of policymakers, local authorities, researchers, industries, NGOs, and civil society.
To combat marine litter, the European Union has funded numerous projects over the past 15 years, producing a wealth of research, tools, and best practices. These efforts have resulted in scientific publications, technical reports, digital platforms, monitoring tools, innovative technologies, case studies, and awareness campaigns.
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Collaborative EU Projects Tackling Marine Litter
The European Commission’s Atlantic Action Plan and the Interreg Atlantic Area project Free LitterAT have joined forces to create a unified approach to addressing marine litter. Their objective is to engage key EU projects that deliver tangible solutions in preventing and reducing marine waste, with the ultimate goal of achieving litter-free coastal communities.
A full list of participating projects is available at the end of this article.
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Marine Litter-Free Toolkit
A major outcome of this collaborative initiative is the Free Litter Toolkit. Developed to provide easy access to relevant projects and resources, this toolkit enhances networking and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.
The toolkit includes selected projects that contribute practical solutions for cleaner coastlines, covering areas such as:
– Waste management and recycling
– Preventing litter from land-based sources (e.g., rivers)
– Monitoring and detection technologies
– Marine litter removal (fishing gear recovery, beach clean-ups, etc.)
– Awareness campaigns and education
The Free Litter Toolkit compiles guidelines, methodologies, best practices, technologies, software tools, and communication materials. While it does not cover every project related to marine litter, it provides a valuable selection of initiatives that can significantly impact coastal sustainability.
Though initiated under the Atlantic Action Plan, the toolkit serves as a resource for other maritime regions as well.
👉 Access the Toolkit here: Free Litter Toolkit
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Future Plans and Ongoing Actions
A widespread dissemination strategy is being developed to ensure the toolkit reaches relevant stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, and local communities.
Planned activities include:
– Organizing workshops, training sessions, and pilot initiatives.
– Grouping project results for greater impact and synergy.
These coordinated efforts will further strengthen the EU’s commitment to cleaner and healthier marine environments.
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Background: Atlantic Action Plan – Pillar IV
The Atlantic Maritime Strategy, introduced by the European Commission in 2011, promotes sustainable development in the Atlantic Ocean region. The Atlantic Action Plan 2.0 (2020-2027) builds upon this strategy, emphasizing the blue economy, environmental preservation, and climate adaptation.
The plan is structured around four key pillars:
1. Ports as gateways and hubs for the blue economy
2. Blue skills of the future and ocean literacy
3. Marine renewable energy
4. Healthy oceans and resilient coasts (Pillar IV)
Pillar IV tackles the vulnerability of Atlantic coastal areas, which face increasing threats from litter and pollution. Two key goals drive this agenda:
– Strengthening coastal resilience
– Combating marine pollution, with a strong focus on reducing marine litter
For more details, visit the Pillar IV Infographic.
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Projects Involved in the Marine Litter-Free Initiative
Several EU-funded projects are actively working to reduce marine litter. These projects focus on prevention, removal, awareness, and sustainable waste solutions.
Some notable initiatives include:
– AQUA-LIT – Preventing marine waste from the aquaculture industry (Visit Website)
– CAPonLITTER – Promoting good coastal practices (Visit Website)
– CleanAtlantic – Tackling marine litter in the Atlantic (Visit Website)
– GoJelly – Using jellyfish to combat plastic pollution (Visit Website)
– LIFE LEMA – Intelligent marine litter removal for local authorities (Visit Website)
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