Webinar : Turning the tide on plastic pollution in the Mediterranean, from knowledge to action

On the occasion of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, as part of the BeMed+ initiative, organized an online event to discuss the growing threat of plastic pollution and explore potential solutions.

If we have a binding global plastic treaty, it will create an urgent need for concrete actions on the ground, greater reliance on science, and strong advocacy for solutions.

During the introduction, experts such as Antidia Citores from Green Marine Europe, Wassim Chaabane, waste management and circular economy consultant, and Lucile Courtial, our executive secretary, outlined their key priorities: cooperation, transparency, responsibility, and reduction at source.

BeMed actively addresses these priorities through:

The Community of Practice, supporting field actors, facilitating knowledge sharing, and fostering data collection, including citizen science initiatives. Anastasia Charitou from iSea shared the potential of the community and her experience.

Accompanying corporate efforts, challenging businesses to take responsibility for plastic pollution and implement solutions, in the idea of an extended producer responsibility.

On-the-ground pilot actions, working directly with local stakeholders. Through BeMed+, two pilot projects are currently being implemented in Tunisia and Albania, focusing on the HORECA sector, sports, and municipal waste management. Fjoralba Begeja from the Institute for Nation Conservation in Albania (INCA) shared her role in the implementation of the project on the field.

Thanks to IUCN for organizing this event and to all the speakers for their valuable insights. Together, we are stronger !