On the 26th of January 2022 a new project entitled Plastic Busters CAP kicked off. Plastic Busters CAP aims to facilitate decision-makers and stakeholders in effectively tackling the problem of marine litter towards good environmental status in the Mediterranean 

The project seeks to consolidate and fully exploit the knowledge obtained by five relevant projects to develop tailored-made capitalization actions that will create the enabling conditions for a societal shift towards sustainable consumption and production patterns and a truly circular and green economy. In the long-term, the project will contribute to enhancing ecosystem services via a reduced leakage of marine litter and marine plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases by wise use and sustainable disposal of plastics.

Plastic Busters CAP is a 24 month-long project, with a total budget of € 1.1 million and is co-funded by the European Union under the ENI CBC MED Programme 2014-2020. Plastic Busters CAP brings together partners from 7 countries of the Mediterranean region, namely Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia.

The backbone of Plastic Busters CAP is the Interreg Med Plastic Busters MPAs; both projects are implemented within the framework of the UfM labelled Plastic Busters initiative that addresses the issue of marine litter and plastic pollution in the entire Mediterranean region. Plastic Busters MPAs implemented pilot marine litter monitoring and mitigation actions in northern Mediterranean countries (Albania, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Spain, Slovenia), while Plastic Busters CAP will replicate such actions in southern Mediterranean countries, namely Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia.

The discussion held during the Plastic Busters CAP kick-off meeting was opened by representatives of the Joint Technical Secretariat of the ENI CBC MED Programme and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).