Widely regarded as one of the most threatened environments in the world, the Mediterranean Sea is subject now to ubiquitous plastic pollution. As a result of high population densities, lack of consistent waste-management schemes, and large influxes of tourists and strategic merchant navigation, this environment is under significant pressure. The total plastic accumulated in the Mediterranean Sea is estimated in the order of magnitude of 1,178,000 tonnes, with a possible range from 53,500 to 3,546,700 tonnes . This has adverse impacts on the health of ocean ecosystems, the integrity of food supplies and people’s livelihoods. Plastic pollution is a design, production, consumption and disposal challenge that must be tackled across plastic’s entire lifecycle. Most efforts to minimise and mitigate the impacts of plastic pollution are focused on the mainland, particularly rivers and coastal areas. To date, not much attention has been paid to islands.
