Plastic Waste Free Islands
Cyprus
Plastic on Cyprus
Cyprus produces 92,588 tonnes of plastic waste per year. Up to 94 kg per capita, well above the European average. Despite having a relatively high waste collection rate (93%), most of it gets exported or disposed, taking away significant material value from the island instead of keeping it in the local economy. Marine plastic in the Mediterranean has been identified as coming from the packaging, tourism, and fishing industry, with tourists responsible for 11% of plastic pollution.
Image: IUCN-EA-QUANTIS, 2020, National Guidance for plastic pollution hotspotting and shaping action, Country report Cyprus
National action plan
Searious Business helped draft a national action plan for the tourism, fisheries, and waste management sectors as part of the Plastic Waste Free Island Med Project from the IUCN, supported by the Didier Martine Primat Foundation.
Together with Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative and Together Cyprus, we worked with local tourist outlets to design guidelines for plastic reduction. We also collaborated with Enaleia, a local social enterprise working with local fishers to recapture marine plastic and recycle it into innovative products to be used on the islands.
The national plan lays out actionable guidance to reduce and reuse plastic materials in the first place, and if unavoidable, how to optimize and boost local recycling. There are also accompanying policy and legal recommendations to assist Cyprus’ decision-makers to develop economic instruments and incentives for waste prevention in the future.
Download the full reports from the IUCN
PWFI - Med
The Plastic waste-free island project has been running since 2019. Together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) we have been working to reduce the plastic footprint on six islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific as part of their global ‘close the plastic tap’ programme. The project is now being extended to the Mediterranean, to Cyprus where the plastic pollution is at an all-time high. The PWFI-Med project is supported by the Fondation Primat and hopes that by changing the fate of the plastic waste streams on the island, we will reduce leakage into the sea. Leading to healthy coastal ecosystems and safeguarding Cyprus’ future.
Be part of the solution
Monthly recap
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