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Improving the sustainability of local communities by providing knowledge and tools to promote the transition towards a circular and resource-efficient economy. These are the objectives of PLASTRON, the Interreg Italy–France Maritime project, in line with the European Green Deal and EU actions aimed at achieving climate neutrality and protecting marine habitats.

“Through small investments for collecting plastic waste from coasts, marinas, and the sea, we are developing joint protocols to improve management and integration within the waste cycle,” explains Moreno Pisano, Communication Officer for the PLASTRON project, now in its second year of implementation.

To reach these goals, experimental studies on circular economy models are underway, with targeted actions for the recovery and reuse of solid waste generated by local production chains—particularly fishing nets and gear that pose threats to marine wildlife. These actions will contribute to defining a sustainable economic model based on the reuse of local waste—at zero-kilometre scale—as secondary raw materials and new components reintroduced into the production cycle through additive manufacturing.

Thanks to an initial assessment of the regulatory framework and current waste management systems, as well as mapping of solid waste from local supply chains, pilot sites are now implementing specific actions.

For instance, in Stintino (Sardinia) and L’Île-Rousse (Corsica), monitoring activities will soon begin to evaluate and improve the proposed strategies and define possible developments and refinements. Meanwhile, the first short-supply-chain prototype has already been produced: small strips of recycled plastic—about the size of a teaspoon—used for tensile tests to verify the consistency and strength of the recycled material.
The results were positive enough to lead to the creation of the first bicycle rack prototype made entirely from recycled plastic.

MEDSEA sets the guidelines for Clean-ups

Collecting waste from seabeds and coastlines is not just about “cleaning up” — it’s about creating knowledge, community, and new production chains. With this vision, the MEDSEA Foundation brings its expertise in clean-ups to the PLASTRON project, turning them into a true environmental governance tool.

Key guidelines for effective clean-ups include:

• Biodiversity protection – each intervention must follow protocols that prevent harm to marine and coastal habitats, ensuring that waste removal does not damage seabed ecosystems.
• Community involvement – citizens, schools, businesses, and local associations actively participate, turning clean-ups into opportunities for awareness and engagement.
• Valorisation of collected materials – waste is sorted to allow reuse and integration into circular economy chains, turning discarded materials into new resources. Building on experience from initiatives such as “Puliamo la Sella”, within the campaign Plastic Free Med, MEDSEA is tasked within PLASTRON with developing official guidelines for local authorities and citizen organisations, ensuring safe and compliant interventions.

Within the project framework, the Foundation also coordinates clean-up activities at pilot sites, involving various marine and coastal ecosystems and identifying cellulosic waste or local by-products to be transformed into new materials. These recovered materials will later be converted into public-use items, such as urban furniture for coastal areas.

Another key goal is to test a methodology in 10 selected tourism businesses to reduce the use of single-use plastics, offering a replicable model for other Mediterranean areas.

All activities will be supported by an extensive communication campaign — including events, social media, workshops with schools, businesses, FabLabs, and local administrations — to share results and foster new participation.

As Andrea Alvito, MEDSEA’s Clean-up Coordinator, points out:

“Clean-ups are not just collection days, but a way to generate awareness, engage communities, and test concrete solutions to reduce plastic pollution in our seas.”

How much does abandoned plastic in the sea really “cost” us?