Tackling single-use-plastic products in the Easter Mediterranean Sea: The BL.EU Climate and MedFreeSup projects

The Mediterranean Sea is a top tourism destination in the world hosting more than 320 million tourists a year but it's also one of the most affected areas by marine litter worldwide, polluting its shores and pristine coastal waters. Marine litter is estimated to cause an annual economic loss of � 61.7 million to the EU fishing fleet because of reduced catch and damage to vessels, while polluted beaches can discourage tourists with consequent job losses in the sector. In this chapter , two projects funded by EIT Climate-KIC (2020) are being presented. The BL.EU. Climate project addressed the challenge of plastic marine littering in southern European waters by building capacity in three Mediterranean countries: Greece, Portugal and Croatia. The project is identifying the plastic marine littering issue at the very beginning of its life cycle, and on the prevention side that can lead to plastic waste reduction and in consequence reducing carbon emissions from both production and waste management stages. The MEDfreeSUP project aims to set replicable voluntary protocols for free single-use plastics food packaging adoption for cafes, restaurants, foods stores, hotel, beach facilities, but also public events and public places in three Mediterranean countries: Greece, Italy and Croatia. The project, which is ongoing, provides support and guidance to local business to comply with the EU SUP Directive and to engage Mediterranean islands and cities in the transition toward a free single-use plastic environment. This chapter presents the key findings and challenges of these projects dealing the impact of single use plastics in Greece, which is one of the projects' countries.