public awareness for the management of marine...

PPUUBBLLIICC AAWWAARREENNEESSSS

FFOORR TTHHEE MMAANNAAGGEEMMEENNTT OOFF

MMAARRIINNEE LLIITTTTEERR IINN TTHHEE MMEEDDIITTEERRRRAANNEEAANN

MED POL

Mediterranean Information Office for Environment,

Culture and Sustainable Development

Hellenic Marine Environment

Protection Association

Clean up Greece

Environmental Organisation

PPUUBBLLIICC AAWWAARREENNEESSSS

FFOORR TTHHEE MMAANNAAGGEEMMEENNTT OOFF

MMAARRIINNEE LLIITTTTEERR IINN TTHHEE MMEEDDIITTEERRRRAANNEEAANN

MED POL

PUBLIC AWARENESS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MARINE LITTER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

AAuutthhoorrss::-- CClleeaann uupp GGrreeeeccee,, EEnnvviirroonnmmeennttaall OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn ((CCUUGG))

http://www.cleanupgreece.org.gr-- TThhee HHeelllleenniicc MMaarriinnee EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt PPrrootteeccttiioonn AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ((HHEELLMMEEPPAA))

http://www.helmepa.gr-- TThhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn OOffffiiccee ffoorr EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt,, CCuullttuurree aanndd SSuussttaaiinnaabblleeDDeevveellooppmmeenntt ((MMIIOO--EECCSSDDEE))

http://www.mio-ecsde.org

CCoovveerr aanndd LLaayyoouutt:: Logotypo, Graphic Arts Tel.: +30 210 8229040

Printed on 100% chlorine-free paper

The publication was compiled and produced with the support of MED POL - UNEP/MAP

First Published 2007

Copyright © CLEAN UP GREECE, HELMEPA and MIO-ECSDE, 2007

ISBN 978-960-88033-8-1

This publication should be cited as:“Public Awareness for the Management of Marine Litter in the Mediterranean”, CLEAN UP GREECE, HELMEPA and MIO-ECSDE, Athens, 2007

The authors would like to thank the following persons for their contribution:

Fouad Abousamra, Mediterranean Marine Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL) of UNEP/MAP

Iro Alampei, Mediterranean Education Initiative for Environment & Sustainability (MEdIES)

Francesco-Saverio Civili, Mediterranean Marine Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL) of UNEP/MAP

I.I.E.K HOTELIA, Hotel and Restaurant Management School

George Kazantzopoulos, President, Institute Team for the World Environmental Alliance 2004+

Vicky Malotidi, Mediterranean Education Initiative for Environment & Sustainability (MEdIES)

Nonita Pant. Papadopoulou, Managing Director of P.A.P Corp.

Joan Parpal of MEDCITIES

Prof. M. J. Scoullos, University of Athens

Ioannis Tsitouras, AGROTOURISTIKI S.A. (Ministry of Tourism)

Enrique de Villamore Mart›n, Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production of UNEP/MAP

PREAMBLE

The Mediterranean Action Plan of UNEP with the support of

the Regional Seas Programme of UNEP aims to

develop a medium-term public awareness and

education campaign on the management of marine

litter in the Mediterranean with the overall

objective to contribute to the protection of the

environment and the sustainable development of

the Mediterranean. UNEP/MAP opted to work with

partner NGOs of the region, namely the

Mediterranean Information Office for Environment,

Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE),

the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection

Association (HELMEPA) and CLEAN UP GREECE -

Environmental Organisation, in the context of a

project entitled “Keep the Mediterranean Litter-free

Campaign” carried out by the three partner

organizations with the support of UNEP/MAP.

The outcome of the project is a proposal of MIO-

ECSDE, HELMEPA and CLEAN UP GREECE to

UNEP/MAP for a common regional approach on how

to raise awareness and appropriately educate

about marine litter with implementation at national

and local level. It has been developed for the

general public as well as for all other stakeholders

such as the maritime industry, the tourism sector,

agriculture, regional and national authorities,

NGOs, the media, etc.

Introduction 7Marine litter in the Mediterranean 9Methodology/approach 13The role of education 15Changing behaviours that lead to direct or indirect marine littering 18The role of the media 20Common principles on raising awareness,

on the problem of marine litter in the Mediterranean 2 4The specific role of key Mediterranean sectors/actors in setting an example

and raising awareness 2 5

Agriculture 2 7

Industry 3 7

The Tourism sector 5 1

The Maritime sector 63

The role of regional, national and local authorities 85

The role of civil society 93

LIST OF CONTENTS

MIO-ECSDE, HELMEPA and CLEAN UP GREECE

with the support of UNEP/MAP

have launched the "Keep the Mediterranean Litter-free

Campaign" to raise public awareness on the causes and

impacts of the pollution of the sea from solid waste. In

the framework of this campaign a useful brochure has

been produced presenting not only the various causes

and impacts of marine litter but also highlighting the role

and responsibilities of all actors concerned, including the

public at large, in protecting the coastal and marine

environment from solid waste.

The brochure has been produced in Albanian, Arabic,

English, French, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Maltese,

Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish.

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INTRODUCTION

Despite international, regional and national efforts, there are clear indications that marine

litter is increasing worldwide and in the Mediterranean. National and local efforts to

prevent the incidence of marine litter are ineffective without regional and

international collaboration to address the sources of the problem.

Marine litter knows no boundaries and is a problem that must be tackled by all

countries of the Mediterranean region. Everyone is responsible for solid waste that

ends up in the Mediterranean Sea. From the individual coastal inhabitant, the

visiting tourist, the lacking integrated waste management policy, the weak

enforcement of existing related policy, unsustainable production and consumption

patterns, to business or industry dumping directly into the sea. The awareness and

education component of addressing the problem is very crucial in achieving a

reversal of the current increasing trends of marine litter, not only in the

Mediterranean but worldwide. Coupled with compliance and enforcement measures

and enhanced technical capacities of coastal communities, the key to solving the

problem is to change the attitudes, behaviour and performance of:

- individuals directly or indirectly affecting the Mediterranean Sea

- key groups/sectors using the Mediterranean coasts and sea or directly or

indirectly affecting them

A regional common framework for effectively raising awareness and changing

behaviours about marine litter inclusive of basic principles for all actors/sectors at

regional, national and local levels and guidelines for each targeted actor/sector is

what is put forth in the following pages along with few main tools/modes of

implementation. It is not the purpose of this text to provide detailed guidelines on

how waste and marine litter specifically should be managed. This document aims to

provide a framework for encouraging each actor to be informed of responsibilities

and options, to develop voluntary action and build key partnerships in effectively

addressing the marine litter problem of the region.

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Marine Litter is defined as anypersistent, manufactured or processed solidmaterial disposed of or abandoned in themarine and coastal environment. It iswaste produced by human activities, eitheron land or at sea, that finds its way intothe marine environment. Plastics, rubber,paper, metal, wood, glass, etc. can befound floating on the surface of the sea,beneath the surface of the sea, washed upon beaches or lying on the seabed.The Mediterranean Sea faces a veryserious marine litter problem and unlessconcerted action is taken to reduce thistype of pollution the situation will onlybecome worse.

Main sources of marine litter in the MediterraneanThe main sources of marine litter aredomestic, industrial, shipping andagricultural activities that deliberately orby accident dispose of their waste directlyor indirectly into the sea. Waste can travellong distances from its source by runoff,winds or sea currents.

The impacts of marine litter

Even the remotest parts of theMediterranean are affected by marinelitter. The impacts of marine litter on theenvironment and coastal communities aremulti-faceted. It spoils the landscape andmay affect the marine ecosystem.Pollutants contained in litter are extractedand diluted into rainwater, freshwater ormarine water and may enter the foodchain.More specifically,■ Marine litter poses a major threat to

wildlife. Marine mammals, sea turtlesand birds can be injured or killedeither through entanglement in oringestion of garbage items. Globally,it is estimated that over 1,000,000seabirds and 100,000 marinemammals and sea turtles die eachyear from marine litter.

■ Much of the marine litter eventuallyreaches the coastline, constituting amajor source of aesthetic pollutionthat may deter tourists and impactlocal economies. Not only does

Marine litter in the Mediterranean

TThhee mmaaiinn ssoouurrcceess ooff mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr iinn tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann

80% from land-based activities from run-off, littered rivers emptying into the sea, rainwater sewers and sewage outlets, air-borne garbage, industrial waste, poorly managed landfill sites, careless disposal of rubbish by beach users, campers and tourists.

20% from activities at sea: from cargo and passenger vessels of all sizes (from cruisers to yachts and sailboats), commercial and recreational fishing vessels (fishing lines and nets, polystyrene fish storage containers, etc.), offshore oil and gas rig/platform debris.

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marine litter cost coastal communitieslost revenues from tourism, butcleaning up beaches from litter canalso be very expensive.

■ Lost or discarded fishing gear canhave financial implications for thefishing industry, which will have toreplace it. In addition, “ghost fishing”(entrapment of marine life indischarged fishing gear) from lost netsalso kills thousands of fish.

AAbbaannddoonneedd,, lloosstt,, aanndd ddeerreelliicctt ffiisshhiinnggggeeaarr iiss aa ssiiggnniiffiiccaanntt aanndd vveerryy ppeerrssiisstteennttffoorrmm ooff mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr.. IItt ppoosseess aa tthhrreeaatt ttootthhee mmaarriinnee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt,, aass wweellll aasshhuummaann lliiffee aanndd aaccttiivviittiieess..

■ Marine litter may cause costly orirreparable damage to boats. Fishingnets can wrap around propellers,plastic sheeting can clog cooling waterintakes, and lost nets or lines canentangle vessels.

■ Marine litter may also endangerhuman health and safety. Sharpobjects, such as broken glass andrusty metal, may cause serious injurieswhen people step on them on thebeach or seabed. Contaminatedmedical and sewage wastes maypose a public health hazard throughdisease transmission. Abandonedfishing nets and lines may entanglescuba divers.

The problem is compounded by the factthat almost 90% of floating marine litter isplastic-based and therefore does notdegrade quickly in the environment. Thisallows garbage in the marine environmentto continue increasing over time and totravel vast distances with ocean currentsand winds, impacting the remotest parts ofthe world’s oceans and coasts.The Table below provides an indication ofthe necessary time for the decomposition

of various litter items in the marineenvironment.

HHooww lloonngg ddooeess iitt ttaakkee ffoorr mmaarriinnee lliitttteerrttoo ddeeccoommppoossee??glass bottle 1 million years

fishing line 600 years

plastic bottle 450 years

aluminum can 80-200 years

rubber boot sole 50-80 years

plastic cup 50 years

tin can 50 years

nylon fabric 30-40 years

plastic bag 10-20 years

cigarette filter 1-5 years

woolen clothes 1-5 years

plywood 1-3 years

waxed milk carton 3 months

apple core 2 months

newspaper 6 weeks

orange peel 2-5 weeks

paper towel 2-4 weeks

Source: The Ocean Conservancy,

“Pocket Guide to Marine Debris”, 2006.

Main reasons why the problemof marine litter has not beensuccessfully addressed in theMediterranean

ñ The lack of international legalinstruments (except for IMO/MARPOLAnnex V which deals only withgarbage from ships) or GlobalProgrammes – makes it difficult totackle the problem.

ñ There is non-existent, insufficient orineffective coordination among thevarious institutions and authorities,national and regional, involved inenvironmental management and morespecifically in waste management. It isthus necessary to: (i) ensure the involvement andcooperation of administrative

stakeholders at different levels andregional/national scales, (ii) obtain the vertical integration andcooperation among the varioussectoral branches of the administration(fisheries, tourism, environment,industry, port activities etc.).

ñ In several Mediterranean countries,there is no adequate regulatoryframework to organise themanagement of coastal waste. Mostcommonly there is a lack of:- liability for bad practices of handlersof waste (producers, transporters, orthose that are entrusted with disposal);- lack of classification of waste bynature and origin;- lack of regular and specificmonitoring of waste from production todisposal;- lack of effective penalties foroffenders;- lack of application and enforcementof existing laws and regulations.

ñ Major problems are encountered in theapplication of economic instruments(mainly fines and taxes) e.g.inadequate and ineffectualadministrative organization, non-payment of taxes, the human factor,very low fines and the inadequatefollow-up.

ñ There is a lack of technical tools, meansand expertise, at regional and nationallevels, necessary in order to focus andprioritise actions for a bettermanagement of coastal waste.

ñ There is very little and inconsistent

information on quantities, flows,handlers of marine litter and a needfor further information on the impactsof marine litter on humans and theecosystem.

ñ There is a need for communication,transparency and coordinated actionwith the various economic sectors thatare part of the marine litter problem inthe Mediterranean in terms of the needto protect and preserve the marineenvironment from macro-waste.

ñ Awareness campaigns andeducational programmes have beenisolated, short-term and haveaddressed the problem of marine litterin the Mediterranean in a non-integrated way.

So far, a number of pilot projects havebeen carried out in Mediterraneancountries in the framework of the MEDPOL Programme. Through an effort ofcoordination and involvement of local andnational authorities, NGOs and otherlocal stakeholders, an attempt was madeto identify administrative, technical andmanagement gaps and improve localawareness on the issue and mitigate theproblems. HHoowweevveerr,, tthheerree hhaass nnoott aass ooff yyeett bbeeeenn aaccoonncceerrtteedd rreeggiioonnaall rreessppoonnssee ttoo tthheepprroobblleemm ooff mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr iinn tthheeMMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann tthhrroouugghh aa hhaarrmmoonniizzeeddrreeggiioonnaall ccooaassttaall wwaassttee mmaannaaggeemmeennttsscchheemmee,, ttaakkiinngg iinnttoo aaccccoouunntt nnaattiioonnaallssppeecciiffiicciittiieess,, nneeeeddss,, ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess aannddpprriioorriittiieess..

PUBL I C AWARENESS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MAR INE L I TTER IN THE MED ITERRANEAN

11

12

Main legal and institutional frameworks affecting the Mediterranean- Local Agendas 21- National legislation on waste management and environmental protection- The Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD)- The Barcelona Convention and its Protocols - The Mediterranean Marine Pollution Assessment and Control Programme

(MED POL) of UNEP/MAP- The EU Environmental Strategy for the Mediterranean and Horizon 2020- The EU Marine Strategy Directive- The EU Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste- The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Convention for the

prevention of pollution from ships (MARPOL 73/78 – Annex V)- The Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine

environment from Land-based Activities; the Regional Seas programme- The Basel Convention

A medium term awareness and education campaign on how toeffectively address marine litter in the Mediterranean is expectedto succeed in:Raising awareness about the issue so as to help individuals toacquire knowledge about the entirety of the environmental andsocio-economic issues relating to marine litter, understanding thecomplexity and interconnectedness of problems such asenvironmental degradation, unsustainable production, wastefulconsumption, etc.Influencing behaviour, attitudes and values so as to helpindividuals acquire and strengthen values and feelings of concernfor the marine environment, the related socio-economic concernsand the interdependent relationship between them, gain a varietyof experiences and achieve the necessary motivation to beactively involved in the solutions to the problem.Helping individuals to acquire skills such as critical thinking,reflection, communication skills, conflict management, etc. andlearn how to take decisions and acting upon them, consideringthe long-term future of environment and society. Strengthening participation so as to provide individuals withthe opportunity to be actively involved at all levels and encouragethem in working collectively and efficiently towards addressingmarine litter problems and related issues of their community. Inother words, encourage the process of developing thecompetencies that enable people to deal with a variety of issuesaffecting their lives, working at personal and group level, as wellas act locally while thinking globally. In light of the above, the awareness and education campaignproposed herewith encompasses targeting and approaching:- the mmaajjoorr sseeccttoorrss that have an important role to play incontributing to the reversal of current trends and adverse effects ofmarine litter in the Mediterranean, and - the ““iinnddiivviidduuaall””, the citizen.

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MethodologyApproach

The major channels for appropriately and effectively targeting the“individual” are: a) through education:

- as a child (via the family and formal, non formal and informal education)

- as a youth (student) (via formal, non formal and informal education, the family)

- as an adult (via training, etc.)

b) as a member of the general public (through the media)as a professional (through cooperatives, unions, chambers, etc) as a member of social groups (through NGOs, associations, women’s groups, religious groups, etc.)

The major channels for appropriately and effectively targeting the “individual”

14

TThhee mmeeddiiaa ppllaayyss aa ccoonnssttaanntt rroollee

▲

▲▲

▲tthhee MMeeddiiaa

TTHHEE IINNDDIIVVIIDDUUAALL

as a memberof the public

as an adult

as a professional

as a member of social groups

as a child familyand

schoolas a student

The need to focus formal, non-formal and informal education on marine litter

The contemporary problems related to marine litter, particularly inthe Mediterranean region call for the meaningful participation ofthe public and all concerned stakeholders. In order to achieve aneffective participation, the public should be properly educated andempowered with the appropriate skills. Education has been acknowledged worldwide as a fundamentaltool for environmental protection and sustainable development. Itis to this end that ffoorrmmaall eedduuccaattiioonnaall ssyysstteemmss have integratedenvironmental education (EE) and, very recently, education forsustainable development (ESD) in the school curricula (basicallyprimary and secondary school level). The modalities by which EEor ESD (in some European countries mainly) are implemented inschools varies from country to country depending on a number ofsocial, economic and institutional factors. The need to ensure thatmarine litter and its interconnectedness is included as a specifictopic within these environmental education programmes is animportant first step.This however cannot be done in a uniform way in the Mediterraneanbecause EE and ESD programmes are implemented differently ineach country. For instance, the model by which EE is implementedin primary schools in some Mediterranean countries (Greece,Spain, Jordan), is the one by which EE is included in thecurriculum as a sseeppaarraattee ssuubbjjeecctt aarreeaa.. However, the ““iinnffuussiioonn””model is also used in primary schools in many countries, such as:Malta, Syria, Portugal, Italy, France and partially in Greece, bywhich EE, as a cross-curricular topic is embedded in the curriculumdisciplines. The latter approach is prevalent in secondary schools.

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The role of education

The Mediterranean Strategy on Education forSustainable Development (MSESD) iiss ccuurrrreennttllyy bbeeiinnggddrraafftteedd aatt tthhee iinniittiiaattiivvee ooff GGrreeeeccee aanndd tthhee ccoonnttrriibbuuttiioonn ooff ootthheerrMMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann ccoouunnttrriieess,, UUNNEEPP//MMAAPP,, MMIIOO--EECCSSDDEE,, eettcc.. IItt iisseexxppeecctteedd ttoo bbee aaddoopptteedd iinn CCyypprruuss iinn 22000088..

Another model based on transversal tthheemmaattiicc mmoodduulleess (with topicssuch as: water, waste, energy, sustainable production andconsumption, etc.) and implemented via iinntteerrddiisscciipplliinnaarryyapproaches is relatively new, not so frequently used, since itrequires increased and efficient coordination, as well as a certaindegree of expertise of the educators involved. Therefore, the Ministries of Education of the Mediterraneancountries must be urged to introduce or review existing EE and ESDprogrammes and effectively incorporate marine litter concerns. Even if formal education systems directly or indirectly address theissue of marine litter e.g. through traditional disciplines such asscience (e.g. by including in the curricula issues related to waterand waste management, marine degradation, etc.), inadequateeducation has been provided to those who had the misfortune tonot go to school or drop out. This is mainly a phenomenon of therural and poorer parts of the Mediterranean region. To this end,non-formal education programmes need to be developed andimplemented aiming to, inter alia, develop the appropriateknowledge and skills and empower the young people to addressthe problems revolving around marine litter. Non-formal educationcould contribute to enhancing people’s skills and willingness tobehave and act more wisely, in the short and long-term, in theframework of sustainable development. The role of non-formal andinformal education in achieving sustainable development has beenrecognised in all major conferences and documents (Agenda 21,UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, UNECEStrategy for Education for Sustainable Development).

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Non-formal education ttaakkeess ppllaaccee iinn aa ssyysstteemmaattiicc wwaayy,, oouutt ooff tthheeeessttaabblliisshheedd ffoorrmmaall eedduuccaattiioonnaall ssyysstteemm aanndd ssoommeettiimmeess,, iinn ppaarraalllleell wwiitthhmmaaiinnssttrreeaamm ssyysstteemmss ooff eedduuccaattiioonn aanndd ttrraaiinniinngg aanndd ddooeess nnoott ttyyppiiccaallllyylleeaadd ttoo ffoorrmmaall cceerrttiiffiiccaatteess.. NNoonn--ffoorrmmaall lleeaarrnniinngg mmaayy bbee pprroovviiddeeddtthhrroouugghh tthhee aaccttiivviittiieess ooff NNoonn GGoovveerrnnmmeennttaall OOrrggaanniissaattiioonnss ((NNGGOOss))aanndd ootthheerr ggrroouuppss.. IItt ccaann aallssoo bbee pprroovviiddeedd tthhrroouugghh oorrggaanniizzaattiioonnss oorraaggeenncciieess,, wwiitthh ssppeecciiffiicc oobbjjeeccttiivveess aanndd ssppeecciiffiicc ttaarrggeett ggrroouuppss tthhaatt hhaavveebbeeeenn sseett uupp ttoo ccoommpplleemmeenntt ffoorrmmaall ssyysstteemmss.. IInnffoorrmmaall eedduuccaattiioonn ttaakkeessppllaaccee aass aa nnaattuurraall aaccccoommppaanniimmeenntt ooff eevveerryyddaayy lliiffee..

UUnnlliikkee ffoorrmmaall aanndd nnoonn--ffoorrmmaall,, informal learning iiss nnoott nneecceessssaarriillyyiinntteennttiioonnaall lleeaarrnniinngg,, aanndd aass ssuucchh mmaayy nnoott eevveenn bbee rreeccooggnniisseedd bbyyiinnddiivviidduuaallss tthheemmsseellvveess aass ccoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg ttoo tthheeiirr kknnoowwlleeddggee aanndd sskkiillllss.. IIttiiss ““ooffffeerreedd”” oorr ssttiimmuullaatteedd oouuttssiiddee tthhee sscchhoooolliinngg ssyysstteemm aanndd aaddddrreesssseesstthhee ssoocciieettyy aatt llaarrggee oorr ttaarrggeetteedd ggrroouuppss ootthheerr tthhaann ssttuuddeennttss uussuuaallllyywwiitthhoouutt aannyy mmoonniittoorriinngg ooff iittss iimmppaacctt..

On the other hand, educators cannot assume that several years offormal education ensure that students will gain and retain all theknowledge and skills needed for environmental literacy. Non-formal education could provide students with the means tomaintain and reinforce the knowledge and skills that they havelearned during their school years on marine litter and thereforeaddress the problem more effectively.

Furthermore, as marine litter is a complex environmental issue anddependent on local and time related characteristics andconditions, non-formal education could provide opportunities andresources to help people retain and adapt their knowledge, skillsand lifestyles. The goal of non-formal and informal education focused on marinelitter is not just the diffusion of related information; enhancedawareness, expressed interest and behavioural change are theinitial signs of a successful process. It is when attitudinal changestowards marine litter occur that one of the most importantobjectives of such education has been achieved. Eventually, whenan attitude based on a moral dimension is formed, then educationhas achieved its ultimate goal.


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Environmental literacy iiss aann iinnddiivviidduuaall’’ss kknnoowwlleeddggee aabboouuttaanndd aattttiittuuddeess ttoowwaarrddss tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt aanndd eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall iissssuueess,,sskkiillllss aanndd mmoottiivvaattiioonn ttoo wwoorrkk ttoowwaarrddss tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeennttaallpprroobblleemmss aanndd aaccttiivvee iinnvvoollvveemmeenntt iinn wwoorrkkiinngg ttoowwaarrdd tthheemmaaiinntteennaannccee ooff aa ddyynnaammiicc eeqquuiilliibbrriiuumm bbeettwweeeenn tthhee qquuaalliittyy ooff lliiffeeaanndd qquuaalliittyy ooff tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt ((DDiissiinnggeerr && RRootthh,, 11999922)).. CCoommbbiinneedd eeffffoorrttss nneeeedd ttoo bbee mmaaddee bbyy aallll tthhrreeee ttyyppeess ooffeedduuccaattiioonn ((ffoorrmmaall,, nnoonn--ffoorrmmaall aanndd iinnffoorrmmaall)) iinn oorrddeerr ttoossyysstteemmaattiiccaallllyy ccuullttiivvaattee eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall lliitteerraaccyy..

Education for the environment aims at thedevelopment of an informed attitude and behaviourtowards the environment. It goes beyond theacquisition of skills and knowledge, and involvesvalues and attitudes that affect behaviour. It isconcerned with the formation of attitudes that lead toa personal environmental ethic, in order for people toinvolve responsibly in actions for the soundmanagement of the environment and the protectionof natural resources.

It used to be widely acknowledged that a positive attitude towards theenvironment and the associated behaviour could be the result ofincreased environmental knowledge. However, research in environmentalbehaviour during the last two decades has provided evidence of a morecomplex relationship between behaviour and numerous variables. Forexample, not only in-depth knowledge about issues but knowledge andskills relating to the intention to act and the locus of control 1 were alsoidentified as important parameters of environmental behaviour. Considerable uncertainty still exists in the prediction of environmentalbehaviour because of the complexity of the process which is based onmany factors. In order for formal, non-formal and informal programmes and actions onmarine litter to contribute to a responsible environmental behaviour theyshould be planned taking into consideration a number of factors asdescribed below. The now prevalent model for the prediction of responsible environmentalbehaviour was proposed by Hungerford and Volk in 1990 and it usesseven variables as key indicators.2 These variables fall into threecategories all of which contribute to shaping the individual’s responsibleenvironmental behaviour. “Entry-level” variables act as prerequisites forresponsible environmental behaviour by pprroovviiddiinngg tthhee ffoouunnddaattiioonn for suchan attitude. “Ownership” variables ppeerrssoonnaalliissee environmental issuesthrough expanded understanding and investment. “Empowerment”variables represent environmental pprroobblleemm--ssoollvviinngg sskkiillllss.. According to themodel, an individual who exhibits development of many of thesevariables is more likely to behave responsibly towards the environment. Therefore, awareness and education programmes on marine litter thatpromote such characteristics are expected to contribute to fosteringenvironmentally responsible behaviour. Furthermore, they shouldadequately address the economical, environmental and socialdimensions of marine litter.

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Changing behavioursthat lead to direct or indirect marinelittering

1 Locus of control refers to

an individual’s belief in

being reinforced for

certain behaviour. In

simple words, an individual

who believes that he/she

has good skills for dealing

with a particular issue is

more likely to express a

relevant behaviour,

because there is an

expectation of success or

reinforcement for such a

behaviour (Franson &

Garling, 1999; Anastasi &

Urbina, 1997). 2 Knapp D., Volk T. &

Hungerford H. (1997)

The Evolution of the Behavioural Model


19

EEnnvviirroonnmmeennttaall cciittiizzeennsshhiipp bbeehhaavviioouurr

EENNTTRRYY--LLEEVVEELLVVAARRIIAABBLLEESS

OOWWNNEERRSSHHIIPPVVAARRIIAABBLLEESS

EEMMPPOOWWEERRMMEENNTTVVAARRIIAABBLLEESS

Environmentalsensitivity

Knowledge of Ecology

Attitudes towardsthe environment & environmentalissues

Personalinvestment inenvironmentalissues

In-depthknowledge aboutissues

Knowledge of theconsequences(positive &negative) ofbehaviour

Personalcommitment toissue resolution

Knowledge ofusingenvironmentalaction strategies

Skills in usingenvironmentalaction strategies

Locus of control

Intention to act

References - Further reading for chapters “Marine litter in the Mediterranean”, “Methodology/Approach”, “The role of education” and

“Changing behaviors that lead to direct or indirect marine littering”:

Anasatsi A. and S. Urbina (1997), “Psycological Testing”, 7th Edition, Prentice Hall.

Disinger J. F. and E. C. Roth (1992) “Environmental Literacy” Eric Digest ERIC (ED351201), ERIC Clearing house for Science, Mathematics and

Environmental Education, Columbus OH.

Franson N. and T. Garling (1999), “Environmental Concern: conceptual definitions, measurement methods and research findings”, Journal of

Environmental Psychology, 1999, 19, pp 369-382.

Knapp D., Volk T. & Hungerford H. (1997), “The identification of empirically derived goals for programme development in environmental interpretation”,The Journal of Environmental Education, 1997, 28, 3, 24-34.

MAP/UNEP (2003), “Strategic Action Programme: Guidelines for the Management of Coastal Litter for the Mediterranean Region” (document

UNEP(DEC)/MED WG 231/7), 17 pp.

MAP/UNEP (2004), “Pilot Project for Coastal Litter Management, Lebanon”

Scoullos M., Roniotes A. and V. Malotidi (2002), “Public Participation, Environmental Information & Awareness in the Mediterranean”, MIO-ECSDE,

Athens.

Scoullos M. and V. Malotidi (2004), ”Handbook on Methods used in Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development”, MIO-

ECSDE, Athens.

UNEP (2005), “Marine Litter, an analytical overview” (http://www.unep.org)

The role of the media in addressing environmental issues

Being the most important conveyor of information in today’s worldthe media could (and therefore should) considerably contribute toraising the awareness of the wider public on environmental issuessuch as marine litter in the Mediterranean countries.The media have an important role in modern democratic societyas the main channel of communication. The population relies onthe news media as the main source of information and on thebasis of which they form their opinions and voting decisions.According to cultural selection theory, any selection of messages inthe mass media will thus have a profound effect on the entiresociety.

Key players that are involved

The production of news often goes through several steps:informants and sources, press agents, reporters, news agencies,journalists, and editors. Since environmental issues are of globalconcern it is important that all stakeholders be involved in thedecision-making and action-taking processes, in the media sectoras much as in any other one, and especially the following keyplayers:- Sources: The sources of news may be public institutions,politicians, private companies, police, courts, interviewees, etc.These may have an interest in providing information that portraythemselves in a positive light and withhold compromisinginformation. - Journalists and editors: Obviously, journalists do have themost important role to play in shaping the content of themessage conveyed. However, the demand for economicefficiency and short time schedules nowadays means thatjournalists often have to print the messages from their sourceswith little or no editing. Therefore, it is necessary for any sourceto provide them with information in a format that is easy to useto make them gain time.

20

The role of the media

- Owners: The owners and shareholders of news media mayhave political opinions that shape their decisions, but withincreasing professionalism they often prefer their media to bepolitically neutral in order to cover as large an audience aspossible.- Advertisers: Newspapers get more than half of their revenuesfrom advertisers, and most radio and TV stations get all theirrevenues from advertising and sponsoring. Obviously, theadvertisers have a strong influence on news contents. Such aninfluence is usually considered unethical, but is neverthelessdifficult to avoid. In order to attract advertisers, the media oftengenerate a "buying mood" by discussing topics of relevance to theadvertised products and avoiding any criticism of commercialproducts or of consumerism in general.The influence of advertisers may be even more direct, althoughclandestine. Occasionally, advertisers have imposed economicsanctions against newspapers that have criticized theirproducts. - Audience: News media depend very much on their audiencefor economic reasons. They have to publish whatever makespeople buy their newspapers, listen to their radio programs, ortune in to their TV shows and stay tuned through the commercialbreaks. This is what newsworthiness really is about: catching theattention of the audience by presenting something spectacular,unusual, emotionally touching, and something that people canidentify with. The media have often been criticized for publishingtoo much bad news, but the fact is that the audience actually paysmore attention to stories about crime and disaster than to goodnews.Another pervasive psychological factor in the preferences of theaudience is personal identification. A story is much moretouching if presented in terms of personalities than if presentedas abstract principles. A political conflict is perceived as muchmore interesting if it is framed as a personal battle betweenpoliticians than if framed as a clash between ideologies and acrime story is more touching if vulnerable victims voice theiranger and grief.

How the media should be involved in conveying the messageAs shown above, the media (or its key actors) have an enormousimpact on public opinion, which gives them a great responsibilityin contributing to raising the awareness of the general public butalso to smaller audiences, accordingly, in environmental issues.Their involvement could take the following shapes:


21

■ General:ñ taking part (esp. journalist staff) in stakeholder meetings and

informational events, such as press conferences, on relatedissues in order to further disseminate the information;

ñ adopting a CSR/ethical attitude towards environmental issues,especially related to marine litter, waste recycling and safedisposal, etc.;

ñ cooperating with concerned actors, scientific institutions as wellas creative agencies to collect and “air” information in themost objective, accurate and exhaustive possible way andwith a view to influence as much as possible the public’sattitude and behaviour.

■ Television/radio channels:ñ providing free time to interested businesses, NGOs and other

organizations active in the field to “air” informational TV/radio spots or at a discount rate in high audience time zones;

ñ producing or broadcasting of relevant documentaries/reportages in the news, especially in large audience timezones;

ñ sponsoring TV/radio emissions or other communicationactivities on the relevant subject;

ñ providing technical support to the production of spots,documentaries, etc. realised by NGOs or other low budgetactors.

■ Press:ñ publishing inserts/ads for free or at a very low rate, in

privileged spaces (i.e. back-pages) in newspapers, magazinesor reviews;

ñ publishing advertorials or reportages of interested low budgetorganisations for free or at a privileged rate for other actors;

ñ providing assistance in writing articles or other journalisticsupport in relevant matters;

ñ organising seminars on environmental journalism;ñ sponsoring communication activities of active organisations on

the relevant subject at local level.

Key issues to focus on

Issues to be dealt with by the media should be of interest to thelarge public, or the target audience addressed. Themes relating tomarine/coastal litter that would have an appealing effect on mostpublics are:- hhuummaann hheeaalltthh rriisskkss rreepprreesseenntteedd bbyy lliitttteerreedd iitteemmss aanndd

uunnccoonnttrroolllleedd wwaassttee dduummppiinngg in rivers, seas and the shoreline;

22

- mmaarriinnee ppoolllluuttiioonn ffrroomm lliitttteerr aanndd iittss iimmppaaccttss oonn mmaarriinnee wwiillddlliiffee(mammals such as dolphins, seals; birds; sea turtles; etc.) aannddeeccoo--ssyysstteemmss;;

- ddeeggrraaddaattiioonn ooff bbaatthhiinngg wwaatteerr qquuaalliittyy dduuee ttoo iinnaaddeeqquuaattee wwaasstteeddiissppoossaall cclloossee ttoo bbaatthhiinngg aarreeaass

- aaeesstthheettiicc ddoowwnnggrraaddiinngg ooff ttoouurriissmm aarreeaass from the presence ofcoastal/marine litter

RRoooott pprroobblleemmss could also be addressed in more educationalemissions, such as documentaries, children’s emissions,reportages, etc. – e.g.:- uunnssuussttaaiinnaabbllee ccoonnssuummppttiioonn aanndd pprroodduuccttiioonn ppaatttteerrnnss and their

impacts on the environment- mmiinniimmiissiinngg,, rreeccyycclliinngg,, rreeccoovveerryy aanndd rreeuussee ooff wwaasstteeThe scope of issues addressed should be relevant to the country orto the overall Mediterranean region so as to avoid the “NIMBY”effect and at the same time trigger solidarity among neighbours,since the marine litter issue is recognised as being is largely“migratory”.


23

References - Further reading:

Dennis E. E. & Merrill J. C: “Basic issues in Mass Communication”, Macmillan, New York, 1984

Anderson A.: “Media, Culture and the Environment”, Rutgers University Press, N.J., 1997

Kraus S. (ed.), “Mass Communication and Political Information Processing”, Hillsdale, Lawrence Erlbaum, 1990

Mehers G.M. (ed.): “Environmental Communication Planning Handbook for the Mediterranean Region”, IAE, Geneva, 1998

OECD: “Environmental Communication - Applying Communication Tools: Towards Sustainable Development”, OECD Publications, Paris, 1999

Bagdikian B.: “The Media Monopoly”, Beacon Press, Boston, 1983

Useful websites:

The European Communication Networks: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/networks/bestpractice_en.htm

The OECD Publication on Environmental Communication on-line: www.oecd.org/dataoecd/8/49/2447061.pdf

The UNEP/Futerra Guide "Communicating Sustainability" on the UNEP DTIE website:

www.unep.fr/pc/sustain/advertising/events_specifics/Communicating_Sustainability_EN.htm

24

Common principles on raising awareness

on the problem of marine litter in the

Mediterranean

■ Change production and consumption patterns and advertise this as an individual, as aneconomic sector, as a business, as an administration, as a ship, as a cooperative, etc.RReedduuccee,, RReeuussee,, RReeccyyccllee and dispose RReessppoonnssiibbllyy..

■ Set an example to others and request the respect of others towards the marine andcoastal environment.

■ Exert appropriate targeted pressure to other co-responsible authorities and economicsectors.

■ Join coordinated and systematic local, national and regional initiatives and get involvedin awareness raising campaigns, in clean-up efforts, etc.

■ Promote and perform systematic collection of information and data on marine litter basedon the regional guidelines and methodologies.

■ Be part of a regional network (or sub-network) on marine litter in the Mediterranean soas to receive systematic, coordinated information.

■ Be informed, educate and train yourself about international, regional and national formaland non-formal educational programmes if you perform such services (civil servants,educators, NGOs, etc.).

■ Inform, educate and train your staff (administrations, municipalities, economic sectors, etc.).

■ Inform, educate and train your members (associations, cooperatives, unions, clubs, otherorganised groups).

■ Integrate local action with any relevant regional and global priorities, programmes andstrategies.

■ Provide financial support for preventive actions.

In the following chapters more detailed proposed actions are outlinedspecifically for the major economic sectors linked with the problem ofmarine litter in the Mediterranean, as well as for the regional, national andlocal authorities and civil society.

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The specific role of keyMediterraneansectors/actors in settingan example and raising awareness

Agriculture

Industry

The Tourism sector

The Maritime sector

The role of regional, national and local authorities

The role of civil society

AGRICULTURE

Why the agricultural sector should contribute to addressing the problem of marine litterin the MediterraneanConsidering the evolution of rural populations and urbancommunities in the Mediterranean, there is a considerabledisparity between developed and developing countries. In thenorthern Mediterranean countries, the size of the rural populationis expected to stabilise, whereas in southern and easternMediterranean countries an increase, before an eventual taperingof rural population, is still expected.

Farmers in the northern Mediterranean countries are increasinglybecoming multi-functional, with supplements from food processingand agro-tourism. In southern and eastern areas of theMediterranean, rural inhabitants have still a lower educational leveland most of the farm work is performed by rural women. In orderto reduce the disparities between the north and south of the basin,regional sustainable agricultural development focusing attention onthe complementary nature of its agricultures should be supported.Integrated agri-aquaculture systems (IAAS) are those which linkaquaculture to conventional farming systems. The development ofsuch systems has been driven by different needs, including adesire to improve food security on small family farms. There is along tradition of oyster and mussel farming in the Mediterraneanarea, as well as use of coastal lagoons, to retain fish for agrowing season before harvest. The technology for farming of fish,crustaceans and molluscs has developed rapidly during the lastdecade. A range of production facilities are used in aquaculture,

28

Agriculture

160.000Total Med.

Total SEMC

Total NMC

140.000

120.000

100.000

80.000

60.000

40.000

20.000

0

1960 1980 2000 2020

Source: Attané and Courbage, Plan Bleu 2001


which can be broadly categorised into tank culture, pond cultureand cage culture systems. Aquaculture itself may have adverseeffects on the environment and the number of floating cagesplaced in bays, estuaries, or lagoons may have to be controlled toprevent degradation of water quality. Fish farms are as wellpotential sources of litter in the marine environment. Agricultural, aquacultutal and municipal solid waste constitutemajor problems for rural communities in both developed anddeveloping countries. The wide variety of agricultural products andthe considerable volumes of production make the agriculturalsector a vital one for the national and regional economies of theMediterranean basin. Combining rural traditions with moderntechnologies is a crucial step towards achieving sustainable ruraldevelopment and within this process waste should be treated as aby-product.The reuse, recycling and disposal of large quantities of littergenerated by coastal farming practices in the Mediterraneanshould be carefully planned in order to avoid or at least minimisethe risk of causing environmental pollution, including marine litter.Marine litter is defined as solid waste, produced by humanactivities, disposed or abandoned in coastal areas and therefore athreat to the marine environment.

How agriculture contributes to the generation of marine litterFarm litter is quite extensive and perhaps more so than in otherindustrial or domestic areas and therefore identification of farmlitter should be the first step. Key areas in agriculture that generatemarine litter are farm houses, stables, fish farm units, deliveryareas, packaging areas, slaughter houses and green houses. Allsubstances or objects from such premises, which are discarded bythe holder, are subject to control as waste. This includes all non-organic and some organic waste materials. Examples of solidagricultural waste are shown in the table on the next page.Empty drums and packaging of agrochemicals may pose soil,ground-water, health and safety risks. Farm plastic litter is unsightlyand can be blown some distance, ending up in trees, hedges andwater bodies. On getting into a waterway, it can cause blockades,often ending up hanging on riverbank vegetation or fences. Plasticwaste or litter is also potentially lethal to livestock.

29

TThhee mmeeaassuurreess,, iinn oorrddeerr ttoo lliimmiitt ffaarrmm lliitttteerr eennddiinngg uupp iinn tthheemmaarriinnee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt,, mmuusstt bbee ttaakkeenn oonn llaanndd bbeeffoorree wwaassttee eenntteerrsstthhee sseeaa..

Solid waste represents a crisis for coastal rural areas becausepeople often dump their waste illegally in water canals that endup in river deltas and the sea with all of the negative impacts thisincurs. Of course it is very often the case that the competentauthorities have not provided the appropriate landfill prerequisitesto the local communities and land users. Many farms own waste dumps which have been used over manyyears for redundant farm equipment and vehicles and a variety ofscrap materials. These waste dumps are often untended, sited atthe edge of a field, on the farm's boundary.

How agriculture can contribute to minimizingmarine litter in the MediterraneanThere are opportunities for farmers, with the incentive offinancial gain and a better quality of life, to help theenvironment through efficient use of resources and improvedwaste management. Litter minimization (the reduction of solidwaste on site) should be fundamental to planning of farmmanagement as it significantly reduces among others the risk ofmarine pollution from agricultural activities. A waste management plan for the farm within a communityframework and in cooperation with local authorities should beestablished. The litter management plan for the farm shouldinclude details on safe litter management and good farming

30

�

�

�

�

plan

do

check

act

Farm Litter

Plastic packagingFeed bags, animal health packaging,

fertilizer bags, agrochemicalcontainers, seed bags,

feed bags, general plastic packaging

Metal, wood, rubber, glass, Hedge trimmings, tree prunings,

pallets, cages, ropes, oil drums, scrapwood (e.g. fence posts), paint tins,sawdust, wood shavings, aerosols

Non-packaging plasticBale twine, net wrap, tree guards,

crop cover, cores for silage sheets,green-house and tunnel film, fleeces,

nets, horticultural plastic, silage plastic

Hazardous wasteAsbestos (all forms), batteries,

fluorescent light tubes

Vehicles and Machinery wastebatteries, brake pads, filters, tyres, redundant vehicles and machinery

Cardboard and paperPackaging, feed bags,

cores for silage sheets, seed bags


practices. More specifically, it should consider the followingmeasures:- Reduce, re-use and recycle waste, wherever possible, by

segregating materials.- Waste must be separated and stored securely, ready for

collection, to prevent harm to the environment and to humanhealth. Monitoring of litter quantities of each type is also avery helpful indicator of progress made over time.

- Adopt “good housekeeping” and waste minimisationpractices that aim to prevent pollution at source. Purchasingpractices should be reconsidered.

- Where possible, minimise packaging by using bulk deliveryand re-usable packaging.

- Use packaging which is biodegradable or can be returnedto the supplier for reuse. However, many plastic crop coversthat are biodegradable do not degrade sufficiently well toavoid a litter problem.

- Recycle metal and tyres. When a farmer no longer has ause for tyres, they are required to dispose of themappropriately. Tyre suppliers may take old tyres after fittingnew ones to agricultural machinery.

- Where possible, reuse or recycle plastic materials on thefarm as this will help to reduce the quantity of waste whichhas to be disposed of.

- Containers for agricultural chemicals and other persistenttoxic or harmful substances should not be put to analternative use but stored in designated areas that areisolated from surface drains and when possible returned tothe supplier for appropriate controlled disposal.

- Care in the handling and use of plastics will increase itspotential for reuse and/or recycling and its useful lifeexpectancy. Dirty plastic costs the recycling industry more bybeing less efficient to recycle. It also costs farmers muchmore to dispose of, as a contaminated silage cover weighsroughly twice as much as it does when clean.

- To prevent stored plastic from blowing around the farmyardand to prevent it from becoming further contaminated, astorage system such as a cage, a silage trailer or othertrailer with high sides or a recycling bin is recommended.

- Trees, trunks, logs, vegetable clippings, leaves, seeds,shells, rinds, garden waste, etc. can be used forcomposting.

- Old farm vehicles and machinery should be fenced untilfinal disposal through local authorities or any othercompetent bodies.

- Farmlands should be kept clean and tidy and free from

31

unsightly litter from farming activity, especially farm plastics,containers and scrap. Farmers who participate in agri-environment schemes must keep their farms free from litterand eyesores.

It is recommended to have a transfer station located in eachcommunity to separate the wastes, compact and transfer themto the nearest recycling centers. The transfer station consists of asorting conveyer belt to sort valuable waste from organicwaste, which is compacted in a hydraulic press. The collectedorganic waste can be mixed with other rural waste forcomposting. However, the litter quality and quantity changesfrom one rural community to another and it is very difficult toestablish recycling facilities in rural areas where the quantitiesare small and specificities vary. Therefore close cooperationwith local authorities is required.

Key elements on which awareness-raising efforts should focusFor all agricultural areas in the Mediterranean, litter preventionis essential to reduce environmental, social and economicdegradation. Awareness raising, stimulation of public opinionand redirecting or improving management policies should be acommon regional goal with national and local adaptations.Awareness initiatives should focus on waste reduction, re-useand recycling, including the promotion of production techniquescovering the entire life-cycle of the product and promotion ofpilot initiatives to systematically tackle waste from agriculture-related activities. BBaasseedd oonn tthhee vvaarriioouuss iinnvvoollvveedd ssttaakkeehhoollddeerrss,, tthheeiirr ccoommppeetteenncciieessaanndd rreessppoonnssiibbiilliittiieess,, tthhee ffoolllloowwiinngg aarree pprrooppoosseedd::

32

FFaarrmm lliitttteerr should not be:ññ ddiissppoosseedd ooff iinn aa ““ffaarrmm dduummpp””,,ññ ddiissppoosseedd ooff iinn wwaatteerr wwaayyss,,ññ bbuurrnneedd,, oorrññ ddiissppoosseedd ooff iinn hhoouusseehhoolldd bbiinnss..FFaarrmm lliitttteerr should be:ññ rreedduucceedd aanndd rreeuusseedd aatt ssoouurrccee,,ññ rreeccyycclleedd,, oorrññ ttaakkeenn ttoo lliicceennsseedd llaannddffiillll ssiitteess ffoorr ddiissppoossaall aann//oorr ccoonnttaacctt llooccaallaauutthhoorriittiieess..RReeccyycclliinngg sshhoouulldd aallwwaayyss bbee tthhee pprreeffeerrrreedd mmaannaaggeemmeenntt ooppttiioonn aassiitt hheellppss ttoo rreedduuccee rreessoouurrccee uussee aanndd tthhee rreeqquuiirreemmeenntt ffoorr ssppaaccee aannddllaannddffiillll ssiitteess..


Agricultural processing and secondary production industryshould cooperate closely with farmers to achieve common goalsregarding the minimisation of marine litter and to supportsustainable agricultural development in the regions.Agricultural cooperatives, associations and unions, inpartnership with local and regional authorities, competentNGOs, etc. should provide information, education and trainingpossibilities to farmers regarding implementation of agriculturallitter management. Farmers should be properly informed and encouraged to:- comply with current legislation,- keep up to date with changes in legislation, - subscribe to agricultural journals,- ensure that all staff and contractors on the farm are

knowledgeable of proper litter management practices, and- apply on the job training, supported by training instruction

sheets.FFaarrmm oowwnneerrss themselves could play a significant role by settingexamples and encouraging the local community to follow suitby way of being active in agricultural cooperatives andassociations; collaborating with the competent authorities andexerting pressure for better performance on their part; joininglocal, national and regional initiatives including clean upefforts, awareness programs, etc.; encouraging staff andneighbors to get involved in actions; maintaining standingrelations with local and national NGOs working onenvironment and sustainable development, which in turn belongor monitor developments and initiatives at Mediterranean andglobal level. Good agricultural practices can help promotesustainable agriculture and contribute to a better environmentaland social development at both regional and national levels.TThhee MMiinniissttrryy of Agriculture and other responsible centralauthorities, in coordinated efforts with regional (sub-national)and local authorities should review, strengthen or developregulations, infrastructure, incentives and appropriateawareness raising and education programmes relevant tointegrated waste management with specificities to minimisingmarine litter. Subsidies for farmers should be connected toproper litter management and other environmental obligationsand practices. Participation of rural communities in any type ofmanagement scheme needs to be enhanced through the settingup of appropriate related participatory mechanisms, publicawareness campaigns and systematic targeted training,community participation with respect to solid wastemanagement (public hearings, radio and telephone help-lines,surveys, etc.

33

Benefits of the proactive involvement of the agricultural sectorAs is the case for other economic sectors, and particularly ifimplemented in a regional (Mediterranean) framework, thebenefits of incorporating responsible litter management practicesin the agriculture sector are socioeconomic as well asenvironmental. More specifically, lower costs will be achievedby reducing resource use, improving operating efficiency,lowering waste output, etc.; farms, nearby beaches and marinaswill be litter-free and attractive significantly contributing to andfacilitating a more sustainable rural development; the sector willbe increasingly acknowledged for its environmental commitment,which is an integral aspect of the increasing trends towardsmore sustainable farming practices in the Mediterranean and theworld over.However, this can only be achieved within overall rural solidwaste management schemes, providing the necessaryinfrastructures and initiatives to promote waste reduction, re-useand recycling in the Mediterranean countries. The promotion ofproduction techniques covering the entire life-cycle of products aswell as the identification and implementation of appropriatemarket mechanisms (incentives, etc.) for recovered products,reinforcement of national and local waste management capacityand promotion of pilot initiatives to systematically tackle wastefrom agriculture-related activities are also necessary. Only thenwill we be able to witness a reduction of marine litter in theMediterranean.

34

Cooperatives and associations ppllaayy aa vveerryy iimmppoorrttaanntt rroolleeiinn tthhee aaggrriiccuullttuurraall sseeccttoorr ppaarrttiiccuullaarrllyy iinn aacccceessssiinngg ssmmaallll ffaarrmmoowwnneerrss.. TThheeyy sshhoouulldd pprroovviiddee iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aanndd ssuuppppoorrtt ttoommeemmbbeerrss;; oorrggaanniissee ttrraaiinniinngg sseemmiinnaarrss oonn lliitttteerr mmaannaaggeemmeenntt aannddtthhee rreelleevvaannccee ttoo mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr,, eettcc..NGOs and particularly women’s organizations ccoouullddppllaayy aa ssiiggnniiffiiccaanntt rroollee ppaarrttiiccuullaarrllyy iinn ssoouutthheerrnn aanndd eeaasstteerrnnMMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann ccoouunnttrriieess,, wwhheerree aass mmeennttiioonneedd aabboovvee tthheeppeerrcceennttaaggee ooff ffeemmaallee ffaarrmmeerrss iiss hhiigghh..Producers and suppliers ooff tthhee aaggrriiccuullttuurree sseeccttoorr sshhoouullddddeevveelloopp rreellaatteedd ppaarrttnneerrsshhiipp aaggrreeeemmeennttss;; pprroommoottee eeccoo llaabbeelliinnggsscchheemmeess,, eettcc..Media, aaggrriiccuullttuurraall nneewwssppaappeerrss,, tteelleevviissiioonn aanndd rraaddiioo ssttaattiioonnssccoouulldd ppllaayy aa ssiiggnniiffiiccaanntt rroollee ffoorr iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn ddiisssseemmiinnaattiioonn,,aannnnoouunncceemmeennttss,, pprroommoottiioonn ooff ggoooodd eexxaammpplleess,, eettcc..


35


M.J. Jeffries (1997), “Biodiversity and Conservation”, Routledge

Kiely, G. (1997), “Environmental Engineering”, Irwin Mc Graw-Hill Publication

UNEP/MAP (2005), “Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development”

Gracey, H. (2006), “Good Agricultural Practice”, Investors in People

“Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activity”, Code of Good Practice, Scottish Executive Publications, 2005

Guillaume, B. & A. Comeau (2005), “Environment & Development Outlook”, The Blue Plan, Earthscan

Useful websites

European Environment Agency: http://www.eea.eu.int

International Agri-food Network: http://www.agrifood.net

International Federation of Agricultural Production: http://www.ifap.org

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org

Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program: http://www.metap.org

National Aquatic Litter Group: http://www.nalg.org.uk

THEINDUSTRY

SECTOR

Why the industrial sector should contribute to addressing the marine litter issue in theMediterraneanThe industry/business sector is one of the main sources ofpollutants released in to the environment, either directly (i.e.release of industrial effluents and solid, hazardous etc. waste) orindirectly through the supply to the market of consumer products orservices that will eventually end up in the natural environment assolid municipal waste (among which coastal and marine litter). Therefore, it is not only necessary but indispensable to activelyinvolve this sector, especially in preventive action and to raise itsawareness on the issue of marine/coastal litter, as a componentof solid waste management with all the aspects that this mayimply (i.e. sustainable consumption and production patterns,integrated product policies, cleaner technologies, corporate socialresponsibility, etc.), in order to support society’s efforts in thismatter.

How industry contributes to the generation of marine litterñ A tentative definition of industry-related marine litter

38

The Industry sector

Marine litter, a case for “Corporate SocialResponsibility” (CSR)AAccccoorrddiinngg ttoo tthhee WWoorrlldd BBuussiinneessss CCoouunncciill ffoorr SSuussttaaiinnaabblleeDDeevveellooppmmeenntt ((WWBBCCSSDD)),, ""CCoorrppoorraattee SSoocciiaall RReessppoonnssiibbiilliittyy iiss tthheeccoonnttiinnuuiinngg ccoommmmiittmmeenntt bbyy bbuussiinneessss ttoo bbeehhaavvee eetthhiiccaallllyy aannddccoonnttrriibbuuttee ttoo eeccoonnoommiicc ddeevveellooppmmeenntt wwhhiillee iimmpprroovviinngg tthhee qquuaalliittyyooff lliiffee ooff tthhee wwoorrkkffoorrccee aanndd tthheeiirr ffaammiilliieess aass wweellll aass ooff tthhee llooccaallccoommmmuunniittyy aanndd ssoocciieettyy aatt llaarrggee"".. ((SSoouurrccee:: wwwwww..wwbbccssdd..oorrgg))FFuurrtthheerrmmoorree,, tthhee EEUU CCoommmmiissssiioonn ddeeffiinneess CCSSRR aass aa ““ccoonncceeppttwwhheerreebbyy ccoommppaanniieess iinntteeggrraattee ssoocciiaall aanndd eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall ccoonncceerrnnssiinn tthheeiirr bbuussiinneessss ooppeerraattiioonnss aanndd iinn tthheeiirr iinntteerraaccttiioonn wwiitthh tthheeiirrssttaakkeehhoollddeerrss oonn aa vvoolluunnttaarryy bbaassiiss..”” ((SSoouurrccee:: eecc..eeuurrooppaa..eeuu//eenntteerrpprriissee//ccssrr//iinnddeexx__eenn..hhttmm))


Although the types of wastes produced by humans are numerous -ranging from simple food residues to heavily toxic and radio-active wastes - one should bear in mind that mmaarriinnee lliitttteerroorriiggiinnaattiinngg ffrroomm tthhee iinndduussttrryy// mmaannuuffaaccttuurriinngg sseeccttoorr in most of thecases consists of solid household/ commercial waste such as:- ppaacckkaaggiinngg rreessiidduueess (plastics, paper & cardboard, aluminium

cans, glass, etc.), but also - wwaasstteess ffrroomm mmaannuuffaaccttuurriinngg pprroocceesssseess including: raw materials -

such as wood, metals, agricultural products, containers forindustrial purposes and chemical substances (varnishes, paints,solvents, coatings, etc.) and also sometimes

- ooffffiiccee eeqquuiippmmeenntt aanndd ssttaattiioonneerryy material (paper, printercartridges, electric and electronic equipment, etc.), and

- ootthheerr wwaasstteess ffrroomm hhuummaann ccoommmmeerrcciiaall aaccttiivviittiieess related to themarine environment (fisheries, shipping, tourism).

The above types of waste that end up in rivers, coasts andeventually in the sea are mainly generated through the followingprocesses:- mmaannuuffaaccttuurriinngg pprroocceessss (inter alia by-products, production

wastes),- ooppeerraattiioonnss,, mmaaiinntteennaannccee aanndd ooffffiiccee mmaannaaggeemmeenntt (i.e. discarded

office equipment, company administration and services, etc.),- ootthheerr pprrooffeessssiioonnaall aaccttiivviittiieess (i.e. fishing gear, products for the

shipping industry, agriculture, the tourism sector, etc.),- aanndd iinndduussttrryy oouuttppuutt ((ii..ee.. pprroodduuccttss,, ppaacckkaaggiinngg,, sseerrvviicceess)) which

eventually “lands” in the end-consumer’s hands (households,other companies, etc.) and is not adequately treated ordisposed of at the end-of-life stage by the end-user.

Hence, the kkeeyy iinndduussttrryy ((mmaannuuffaaccttuurriinngg)) sseeccttoorrss iinnvvoollvveedd and to betargeted in the prevention of marine litter are the following: - CCoonnssuummeerr ggooooddss iinndduussttrryy – inter alia the food processing

industry, plastics manufacturers, the wood processing andpaper industry, the automotive industry, the electronic goodsmanufacturers, the pharmaceutical industry, etc.;

- PPaacckkaaggiinngg iinndduussttrryy (especially plastics manufacturers, thepaper industry, bottling and canning companies);

- CChheemmiiccaallss iinndduussttrryy (except the plastics manufacturers): thereare several other types of businesses, such as those producingsolvents, paints, etc. that are responsible for the generation ofmarine litter.

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Key-fact: PPllaassttiicc mmaatteerriiaallss aaccccoouunntt ffoorr mmoorree tthhaann 9900%% ooff ffllooaattiinngg mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr.. ((SSoouurrccee:: GGPPAA,, wwwwww..mmaarriinnee--lliitttteerr..ggppaa..uunneepp..oorrgg))

- And to a certain extent mmaannuuffaaccttuurreerrss ooff ggooooddss && eeqquuiippmmeennttfor other professional sectors (i.e. fisheries, shipping, tourism,etc.)

How to raise the awareness of theindustry/business sector on the marine litter issue

ñ Roles and tasks of the different stakeholders of the sector

Since it is crucial to involve the manufacturing sectors in order toaddress the marine litter issue, targeted communication,information and awareness raising activities should be developedspecially for these actors of the society. Schematically, communication/information to and among theindustry sector flows as described in the figure below:

There is a need for given business sectors - especially manufacturerslocated in coastal zones (i.e. plastic, paper manufacturers,packaging, food processing and bottling companies, etc.) but alsothe tourism sector, etc. - to be informed on problems caused bymarine litter in their area and throughout the Mediterranean regionas well as on issues (i.e. inappropriate solid waste management,lack of product life cycle analysis, over-exploitation of naturalresources, waste of energy, etc.) connected to their operations. This could be done by a range of bodies such as:- iinndduussttrriiaall// ttrraaddee uunniioonnss of the sector informed by competent

authorities on their impact, role and obligations,- ccoommppeetteenntt aauutthhoorriittiieess in charge of solid waste management

and coastal litter collection,- NNGGOOss active in related awareness raising events and clean-

ups, - other ppuubblliicc bbooddiieess in charge of enforcing polluter-pays

regulations or pollution control measures.Collaborative or joint actions of these bodies are preferred as theyare more likely to succeed.

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ccoommppeetteenntt bbooddyy ((ii..ee.. ppuubblliicc aauutthhoorriittyy)) ➜ bbuussiinneessss sseeccttoorr((ttrraaddee//iinndduussttrryy uunniioonn)) ➜ ccoommppaannyy’’ss ttoopp mmaannaaggeemmeenntt ➜

mmiidd--mmaannaaggeemmeenntt ((++ ootthheerr ddeeppaarrttmmeennttss,, ee..gg..:: MMaarrkkeettiinnggDDeepptt..))““mmaarrccoomm”” ddeeppaarrttmmeenntt -- iinntteerrnnaall ccoommmmuunniiccaattiioonnss ➜ aallllccoommppaannyy ssttaaffff ➜ ssoocciiaall cciirrccllee ((ffaammiillyy,, ffrriieennddss))eexxtteerrnnaall ccoommmmuunniiccaattiioonnss ➜ ssuupppplliieerrss,, ccuussttoommeerrss,, llaarrggeeppuubblliicc,, eettcc..

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A. The role of industry federations, chambers, tradeunions, etc.

IInndduussttrriiaall uunniioonnss and cchhaammbbeerrss ooff ccoommmmeerrccee,, inter alia, asumbrella organizations, are a key link between an industrial sector(or business more generally speaking), policy makers, and thegeneral public. Therefore their involvement in the awarenessraising process ought to constitute a major contribution to theimprovement of the situation in the relevant area.

Their rroollee,, in cooperation with other bodies mentioned above,should be to:- Improve awareness and understanding of major issues and the

responsibility or role of the sector in the specific field;- Maintain open and timely dialogue with regulators, politicians,

scientists, NGOs, the media and other interested stakeholders;- Ensure the industry sector contributes actively to any public,

regulatory or scientific debate and provides balanced andobjective science-based information to help answer questionsabout products manufacture or service offered, as relevant;

- Promote the best health, safety and environmental practices inthe manufacturing process;

Once briefed on the environmental impact of the company’sactivities – especially if the latter has adopted a Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR) policy –, top management should elaborate aplan and budget for the improvement of the company’s operationsand output. It should also undertake awareness raising of its ownstaff, collaborators and of course customers. This could includemeasures/action such as those proposed below:

B. Corporate internal communications- SSeenniioorr mmaannaaggeemmeenntt lleevveell::

Management should conduct briefing of shareholders andinvestors and the organisation of targeted seminars for themid-management. Field visits, training and other informationalactivities would also be required to enhance theunderstanding of the issue at that level, according to the typeand size of the manufacturing company and the culturalenvironment.

- HHuummaann rreessoouurrcceess ddeeppaarrttmmeenntt lleevveell:: The HR department should design and plan incentives for staff,based on legislative/regulatory framework in force orimminent.

- MMaarrkkeettiinngg ((iinnccll.. ccoommmmuunniiccaattiioonnss,, PPRR)) ddeeppaarrttmmeenntt lleevveell::Especially the staff in charge of marketing andcommunications, where available, should develop external aswell as internal information material and tools to raise

41

awareness of employees as well as shareholders, customers,collaborators, partners, suppliers, etc.

- OOppeerraattiioonnss ddeeppaarrttmmeenntt lleevveell::Higher awareness levels in the operation’s department couldbe achieved through staff briefings, professional seminars,hands-on training, etc. Gathering the staff’s feedback to closethe information loop is also an important way to improve theoverall corporate attitude.

In general, however, sensitization on the impacts of coastal/marine litter on the environment and human health,inappropriate waste disposal and unsustainable consumptionpatterns, should be directed at all employees, who in turn oughtto transmit the message to their own social circles (relatives,friends, etc.).

C. External/marketing communicationsCompanies’ outbound communications on the impact of marinelitter and solid waste in general can take different shapes, on theone hand enhancing their corporate/brand image, and on theother, helping them to cut down production/operation coststhrough improved efficiency and savings of materials and energy.Communication activities should target the whole range of externalstakeholders, especially:- collaborators, suppliers, distributors, retailers (where

appropriate), and- customers, end-users.

Key issues on which awareness raising should focusWhen dealing with awareness raising on coastal/marine litterissues, companies will be very likely need to deepen theirknowledge of resource efficiency and solid waste management –including important topics mentioned below - in order to providetheir audiences with a full understanding/vision of the issues. Thetwo most prevalent are the following, which present somesimilarities, but are based on a different concept/approach.

ñ The Product Life Cycle approach

The life cycle approach is a hhoolliissttiicc aapppprrooaacchh to solid wastemanagement and more generally speaking to the ssuussttaaiinnaabbllee uusseeooff nnaattuurraall rreessoouurrcceess (i.e. raw materials, energy, and water). LLiiffeeCCyyccllee AAsssseessssmmeenntt can be defined as a “method that studies theenvironmental aspects and potential impacts of a product orsystem from raw material extraction through production, use and

42


disposal”. The general categories of environmental impacts to beconsidered include resource use, human health and ecologicalconsequences.Life cycle analysis is now a recognised tool in decision-makingwithin industry and public administration in various industry sectorsin the European Union. This is not the case for severalMediterranean countries where this type of analysis is not widelyused yet, very often due to lack of data and also means forcollecting such data.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the environmental impacts ofmanufacturing goods depend on three different parameters:- CCoonncceepptt aanndd ddeessiiggnn ooff tthhee pprroodduuccttss,, since this influences to

what extent products that end up as waste are recyclable andnon-hazardous, and to what degree they can be dismantledinto recyclable fractions (this concept is also related to that ofresource efficiency or sound use of natural resources);

- CCoonnssuummppttiioonn ppaatttteerrnnss,, as they influence the waste flow(quantitatively and qualitatively) because it is consumers buyingthe consumables who partly decide the volume and lifetime ofthe consumables;

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n Resources

n Material and

energy processing

n Manufactiring

processes

n Distribution

n Consumption

and use

nWaste collection and separation

nRecycling nComposting

/anaerobe

digestion

nEnergy recovery n Combustion n Gas collection

nIncineration nLandfill nRecovery

n Maintenance,

repair, reuse

n Packaging

Concept and

design of

cousumables

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▲▲

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▲

▲

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▲ ▲

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▲ ▲

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▲

▲

▲

▲

▲

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FFiigguurree 11:: TThhee lliiffee ccyyccllee aapppprrooaacchh

(Source: The Nordic Council ofMinisters, Finland)

- SSoolliidd wwaassttee ttrreeaattmmeenntt ooppttiioonnss adopted by municipalities, thelatter influencing the efficiency of the treatment.

Industry has an active role to play and an obvious economicinterest in integrating the life cycle approach in its production andwaste management patterns. When using fewer raw materialsand less energy for the products they manufacture (eco-design),businesses can realise important savings and decreasemanufacturing costs.

ñ From waste prevention to disposal

Solid waste management is often approached from a more“waste-centres” point of view, which is the ““RReedduuccee –– RReeuussee ––RReeccyyccllee”” ((33RR)) aapppprrooaacchh.. Similar to, but less holistic than theproduct life cycle analysis, the ‘3R’ approach aims basically toimprove the management of solid waste flows through thepprreevveennttiioonn,, rreeuussee aanndd rreeccyycclliinngg ooff ddiissccaarrddeedd mmaatteerriiaallss.. It does notalways take into consideration concerns such as sustainableconsumption and production patterns, sound use of naturalresources, since it is more focused on tteecchhnniiccaalliittiieess relating to solidwaste management.

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Useful references:

■ UNEP’s “Life-Cycle Initiative”((SSoouurrccee:: wwwwww..uunneeppttiiee..oorrgg//PPCC//ssuussttaaiinn//llcciinniittiiaattiivvee//hhoommee..hhttmm,, aanndd llcciinniittiiaattiivvee..uunneepp..ffrr//))

■ The EU “Integrated Product Policy”((SSoouurrccee:: eecc..eeuurrooppaa..eeuu//eennvviirroonnmmeenntt//iipppp//))

ññ PPrroodduucctt lliiffee ccyyccllee iinntteeggrraattiioonnññ LLiiffee--ccyyccllee aannaallyyssiiss// aasssseessssmmeennttssññ EEnnvviirroonnmmeennttaall MMaannaaggeemmeenntt SScchheemmee ((EEMMAASS))ññ IInntteeggrraatteedd PPoolllluuttiioonn PPrreevveennttiioonn && CCoonnttrrooll ((IIPPPPCC))

FFiigguurree 22:: TThhee wwaassttee hhiieerraarrcchhyy

(Source: www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources)

preventionmostfavoured

option

leastfavoured

option

minimisationreuse

recyclingenergy recovery

disposal


■ Waste prevention or reductionReduction of waste at source refers to any change in the design,manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products (includingpackaging) to reduce their amount or toxicity before they becomemunicipal solid waste. Source reduction also refers to the reuse ofproducts or materials.Waste reduction can help reduce waste disposal and handlingcosts, because it avoids the costs of recycling, municipalcomposting, land filling, and combustion. Source reduction alsoconserves resources and reduces pollution, including greenhousegases that contribute to global warming.

Key aspects to waste prevention are:ñ RReessppoonnssiibbllee bbuuyyiinngg aanndd ggrreeeenn pprrooccuurreemmeennttñ RReessoouurrccee eeffffiicciieennccyy or in other words the rraattiioonnaall uussee ooff nnaattuurraall

rreessoouurrcceess and raw materialsñ EEccoo--ccoonncceeppttiioonn//ddeessiiggnn

■ Waste recovery, reuse and recyclingThe EU Commission defines rreeccoovveerryy “as any waste managementoperation that diverts a waste material from the waste stream andwhich results in a certain product with a potential economic orecological benefit”. Recovery mainly refers to the followingoperations:- Re-use of discarded items as such or of their materials (see

below);- Material recovery, (i.e. see below: recycling);- Energy recovery, mostly re-use of wastes as fuels through

‘waste-to-energy’ plants;- Biological recovery, e.g. composting (see below).RReeuussee includes:- reuse of raw material streams (non-dissipative wastes) in the

production process,- diversified reuse of other items, and - trading of used items (i.e. ‘second hand’ business, exporting

less state-of-the-art technology vehicles or engines to countriesin the developing process).

The OECD’s definition of rreeccyycclliinngg iiss “any reprocessing of materialin a production process that diverts it from the waste stream,except reuse as fuel. Both reprocessing as the same type ofproduct and for different purposes should be included.” Directrecycling or reuse within industrial plants at the place ofgeneration is an important aspect of recycling and should largelybe taken into consideration by manufacturers in their efforts toreduce waste flows – be it inwards or outwards.Composting represents also a form of recycling. It is the controlled

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biological decomposition of organic matter, such as food andyard wastes, into humus, a soil-like material. Composting isnature's way of recycling organic waste into new soil. Compostingis often less relevant to marine litter issues, since normallybiodegradable wastes are less impacting on the marineenvironment and, hence, do not constitute such a serious issue forit. However, large wood debris released in the sea and circulatingmight harm human beings, marine animals and also causedamage to maritime transportation.

■ Waste disposal and treatmentWhen the materials or items discarded have reached the finalstage - the “end-of-life” phase - and their reuse or recycling is notfeasible or viable, they must be disposed of in such a mannerthat they cause the least possible harm to the environment,especially avoiding that they reach the aquatic and marineenvironment, which is even more sensitive. Depending on thewastes’ “nature”, different types of final disposal or treatment canbe envisaged:- IInncciinneerraattiioonn:: Where possible, waste that cannot be recycled or

reused should be safely incinerated, with landfill only used asa last resort.

- DDiissppoossaall iinn aaddeeqquuaattee ccoonnttrroolllleedd llaannddffiillllss,, and not in illegaldumping sites, should be the last resort for waste flows thatcannot be managed/treated in another way. The EU hasrecently approved a Directive setting strict guidelines for landfillmanagement.

- SSppeecciiaall ttrreeaattmmeenntt ooff hhaazzaarrddoouuss wwaasstteess is another importantmatter dealt with by international, regional and nationallegislation in most of the Mediterranean countries.Manufactured products such as batteries, varnishes, solvents,pesticides, WEEE, etc. need special attention from theproducers and users handling them, since their release into themarine/coastal environment (and in the natural environment ingeneral) is of particular harm for human beings, aquaticorganisms and eco-systems.

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Best practices:

■ “Vacances propres”, a private/public awarenesscampaign to reduce the use of plastic bags (France – Source: www.vacancespropres.com)

■ Plastics recycling in Europe (Association of EuropeanPlastic Manufacturers Source: www.plasticseurope.org/Content/Default.asp)


Benefits from the proactive involvement of the industry sectorThe industry/ business sector has a responsibility to effectivelyaddress the marine litter problem in the Mediterranean, jointly withother stakeholders (public authorities, civil society): either topromote sound behaviour and rational use of the products theymarket or in integrating solid waste management policies andintegrated product policies in their corporate approach.The benefits – and thus inherent stimuli - for a business to adopt aCSR approach (and related communication activities) in the field ofmarine litter are multiple, ranging from ethical to financial:First of all, by adopting a CSR approach, jointly with cleanerproduction and waste management methods, a business will enjoyan enhanced corporate/ brand image among the customers; thiswould lead to competitive advantages.Also, improved (internal) understanding among staff will ease theway to smoother production processes and enhanced solidarity andownership. Furthermore, raw material and/or energy savings in theproduction process would result in the reduction of production costs. Eventually, reduced pollution through less generation of solidwaste could also reduce waste management costs for the localauthorities translated into reduced amount of taxes or contributionsrequired from the private sector for solid waste management.However, this issue would be more relevant for EU countries.Business would also risk fewer penalties as polluters (according tothe “polluter pays principle”) in implementing sustainable wastemanagement methods.

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A case of Cleaner Production application:

AA ccoommppaannyy mmaannuuffaaccttuurriinngg mmaayyoonnnnaaiissee ggeenneerraatteedd aa hhiigghh vvoolluummeeooff wwaasstteewwaatteerr aanndd wwaassttee bbyy cclleeaanniinngg tthhee ppiippeess,, wwhhiicchh iimmpplliieeddhhiigghh ttrreeaattmmeenntt ccoossttss.. TThhee ccoommppaannyy ddeecciiddeedd ttoo cchhaannggee tthheepprroocceessss ooff ppiippee cclleeaanniinngg bbyy mmooddiiffyyiinngg tthhee ppiippeess tthhrroouugghh wwhhiicchhtthhee mmaayyoonnnnaaiissee cciirrccuullaatteedd.. TThhee ddiiaammeetteerr ooff aallll ppiippeess wwaass mmaaddeeeeqquuaall aanndd tthhee ccuurrvvee rraaddiiuuss mmooddiiffiieedd,, tthhuuss aalllloowwiinngg aa ssiilliiccoonn bbaallllddrriivveenn bbyy ccoommpprreesssseedd aaiirr ttoo ppaassss tthhrroouugghh tthhee ppiippeess ssoo aass ttoorreeccoovveerr tthhee aaccccuummuullaatteedd pprroodduucctt.. WWiitthh tthhiiss cchhaannggee,, 55 tt//yyeeaarr ooffmmaayyoonnnnaaiissee iiss nnooww rreeccoovveerreedd aanndd ppaacckkaaggeedd.. TThhee rreemmaaiinniinngglliiqquuiidd wwaassttee ffrroomm cclleeaanniinngg ((1155 tt//yyeeaarr)) iiss rreeccoovveerreedd aass ccaattttlleeffeeeedd,, mmeeaanniinngg aa 2200--tt//yyeeaarr rreedduuccttiioonn iinn wwaassttee.. FFuurrtthheerrmmoorree,,tthheerree aarree wwaatteerr aanndd ddeetteerrggeennttss ssaavviinnggss ffrroomm cclleeaanniinngg tthhee ppiippeess,,wwiitthh tthhee rreessuullttaanntt rreedduuccttiioonn ooff wwaasstteewwaatteerr.. TThhee ppaayybbaacckk ppeerriiooddiinn tthhiiss ccaassee wwaass 33 mmoonntthhss.. ((SSoouurrccee:: CClleeaanneerr PPrroodduuccttiioonn -- RReeggiioonnaall AAccttiivviittyy CCeennttrree,, UUNNEEPP--MMAAPP))

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Un-sustainable consumption and production patternsin the Mediterranean

SSttuuddiieess,, ssuucchh aass tthhee BBlluuee PPllaann’’ss ""FFuuttuurreess ffoorr tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann BBaassiinn""((22000055)),, sshhooww tthhaatt uunnssuussttaaiinnaabbllee ccoonnssuummppttiioonn aanndd pprroodduuccttiioonnppaatttteerrnnss iinn tthhee ddeevveellooppeedd ccoouunnttrriieess ccoonnttiinnuuee ttoo sspprreeaadd.. EEvveenn tthhoouugghhtthheerree aarree ssttiillll ggrreeaatt ddiissppaarriittiieess bbeettwweeeenn NNoorrtthheerrnn aanndd SSoouutthheerrnn ppaarrttssooff tthhee rreeggiioonn ((GGDDPP ppeerr ccaappiittaa iinn ppuurrcchhaassiinngg ppoowweerr ppaarriittyy rreemmaaiinniinngg33 ttoo 55 ttiimmeess lloowweerr iinn tthhee SSoouutthheerrnn rriimm ccoouunnttrriieess)),, eeccoonnoommiicc ggrroowwtthhttaakkiinngg ppllaaccee tthhrroouugghhoouutt tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann,, iiss aa ddrriivviinngg ffoorrccee bbeehhiinnddtthheessee ppaatttteerrnnss,, ssiinnccee ccoonnssuummeerrss sseeeekk ttoo iimmpprroovvee tthheeiirr ""qquuaalliittyy ooff lliiffee""aass tthheeiirr iinnccoommee iiss rriissiinngg aanndd aarree eennjjooyyiinngg aa sstteeaaddiillyy eexxppaannddiinnggrraannggee ooff llooww--pprriicceedd mmaassss--pprroodduucceedd ggooooddss,, ffoorr tthhee pprroodduuccttiioonn ooffwwhhiicchh eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall ccoossttss aarree sseellddoomm iinntteerrnnaalliisseedd ((SSoouurrccee:: OOEECCDD,,22000022 –– wwwwww..ooeeccdd..oorrgg)).. AAss aa rreessuulltt,, aalltthhoouugghh wwaassttee rreeccoovveerryy aannddrreeccyycclliinngg rraatteess hhaavvee iinnccrreeaasseedd,, ttoottaall hhoouusseehhoolldd wwaassttee ggeenneerraattiioonnccoonnttiinnuueess ttoo ggrrooww,, mmaakkiinngg iitt aa pprriioorriittyy ccoonncceerrnn..VVoolluunnttaarryy aapppprrooaacchheess oonn bbeehhaallff ooff iinndduussttrryy ttoo pprroodduuccee iinn aa mmoorreessuussttaaiinnaabbllee mmaannnneerr ((ii..ee.. tthhrroouugghh eeccoo--ddeessiiggnn,, ccoosstt iinntteerrnnaalliissaattiioonn,,ggrreeeenn pprrooccuurreemmeenntt,, cclleeaann tteecchhnnoollooggiieess)) aarree tthheerreeffoorree nneeeeddeedd iinnoorrddeerr ttoo iimmppaacctt ppoossiittiivveellyy oonn hhoouusseehhoollddss’’ ccoonnssuummppttiioonn bbeehhaavviioouurrddoowwnnssttrreeaamm,, jjooiinnttllyy wwiitthh rreegguullaattoorryy ffrraammeewwoorrkkss aanndd ppuubblliiccaawwaarreenneessss rraaiissiinngg..


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European Commission: Communication “Taking sustainable use of resources forward: A Thematic Strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste”,COM (2005)666 final, Brussels, 2005.

UNEP/ SETAC: LC Initiative Brochure “Cooperation on approaches and best practice for a Life-Cycle Economy”, UNEP Division of Technology, Industry

& Economics, Production and Consumption Unit, Paris, 2003.

Regulation (EC) No 761/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2001 “Allowing Voluntary Participation by Organisationsin a Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)”, 2001.

European Commission: Communication “Implementing The Partnership For Growth And Jobs: Making Europe A Pole Of Excellence On Corporate SocialResponsibility”, COM (2006)136 Final, Brussels, 2006.

European Commission: Corporate Social Responsibility Green Paper “Promoting A European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility”, COM(2001)366 Final, Brussels, 2001.

Watts, Ph., Lord Holme: “Corporate Social Responsibility – Meeting changing Expectations”, WBCSD Publications, ISBN No. 2-94-0240-03-5.

Poitou, I.: “Les Macro-déchets : Une Gestion Publique Empirique. Etude du Littoral de la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur”, Thèse pour obtenirle grade de Docteur de l’Université De Droit, d’Economie et des Sciences d’Aix-Marseille, 2004.

European Commission DG XI: “Integrated Product Policy - A study analysing national and international developments with regard to IntegratedProduct Policy in the environment field and providing elements for an EC policy in this area”, by Ernst & Young, UK, March 1998.

European Commission: “Buying green! A handbook on environmental public procurement”, ISBN 92-894-8117-x, Luxembourg, 2004.

Bjarnadottir, H. J., Fridriksson, G. B., Johnsen, T., Sletsen, H.: “Guidelines for the use of LCA in the waste management sector”, NT Techn. Report

517 (approved 2002-11), The Nordic Council of Ministers, Espoo, 2002.

OECD: “Towards Sustainable Household Consumption? Trends and Policies in OECD Countries”, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2002, ISBN: 9789264175068.

Useful websites

The Global Marine Litter Information Gateway: www.marine-litter.gpa.unep.org/

The UNEP Life-Cycle Initiative: www.uneptie.org/PC/sustain/lcinitiative/home.htm

The EU Commission's web pages on Waste: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/index.htm

The European Topic Centre on Resource and Waste Management: waste.eionet.europa.eu

The “WasteWise” EPA Programme: www.epa.gov/wastewise/

The EU Commission's web pages on Integrated Product Policy (IPP): ec.europa.eu/environment/ipp/

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development: www.wbcsd.org

The Association of European Plastic Manufacturers: www.plasticseurope.org/Content/Default.asp

The OECD web page on Consumption, Production and the Environment: www.oecd.org/about/0,2337,en_2649_34289_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

The Association “Vacances Propres”: www.vacancespropres.com/htfr/frameset.htm

THETOURISM

SECTOR

Why the tourism sector should contribute to addressing the problem of marine litterin the MediterraneanThe Mediterranean is the world’s leading tourist region. Tourism isa major industry and consists mainly of a seasonal seaside resortmode. In many of the major resorts in the Mediterranean area thepopulation more than doubles during summer. Some 637 milliontourists are expected in the region by 2025, which means anadditional 270 million in comparison with 2000. TheMediterranean is under threat due to the inappropriate practiceand development associated with mass tourism. The environmentof many coastal areas in the Mediterranean has been adverselyaffected by unsustainable modes of tourism. The production ofsolid waste in tourist areas often exceeds the carrying capacity oflocal infrastructures due the high seasonal demand. The huge amounts of litter produced in the Mediterranean, due totourism, makes the sector and especially the hospitality industryone of the major targets for awareness and education campaignsso as to minimise the ensuing marine litter.

Although part of the tourism related and hospitality industry in theMediterranean have already adopted environmental managementsystems like ISO 14001 (International standard for creating andtesting an environment management system) or EMAS(Environmental Management and Audit Schemes), there is still alack of applied environmental management schemes particularlyfor small and medium sized businesses.

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The Tourism sector

Hospitality Industry

Hotels and Resorts Cruise Liners

Pensions and rooms for rent Camping Sites

Restaurants Bars/Nightclubs


The key areas of the tourism sector that generate marine litter are:

ñ Stationary ñ Officesñ Housekeeping departmentsñ Food and beverage departmentsñ Garden areasñ Beach areasñ Water Sport Areasñ Marinasñ Tourists themselves

How tourism can contribute to the problem of marine litter in coastal areas

Basic litter management guidelines and management practices areapplicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations,including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments.These guidelines should integrate environmental action intobusiness activity through specific procedures and technologicalimprovements that need to be incorporated into existing practicesand operations in order to identify and avoid marine litter. Marinelitter is a waste type consisting of solid materials, disposed orabandoned in coastal areas and tends to create a danger topublic health, safety and welfare. Litter is often caused by carelessor accidental treatment of debris and waste as opposed to properdisposal. A preliminary status review requires a list of all waste generatedby the business or activity: - How much waste is generated under the main waste

categories: paper, plastic, aluminium, organic (kitchen andgarden), and hazardous, every month/year?

- Which departments/activities generate high volumes of waste?- Have initiatives been taken to collect and separate waste?- Is organic waste separated from other waste?- Are there items in the waste stream that have never been

used?- What is the existing infrastructure for waste management in my

area (recycling services, landfills, etc.)?This can then be used to identify products that can be eitherreplaced with alternatives, which avoid waste or generate less;reused for the same or another purpose; sorted and collected forrecycling under municipal waste recycling schemes; used forlonger; stored appropriately, etc.

53

More specifically, litter management principles and guidelinesshould focus on:

AAvvooiiddiinngg lliitttteerr aatt ssoouurrccee::- Favour products with less packaging- Invite suppliers to take back packaging, especially reusable

boxes, crates and pallets- Buy in bulk rather than small packs- Use rechargeable or mercury-free batteries- Maximise use of electronic mail to reduce paper use- Use refillable containers for soap, cleaners, foods, etc.

RReedduucciinngg lliitttteerr::- Use both sides of office paper before disposal- Use cloth-material in preference to paper towels/napkins- Switch from disposable to reusable laundry bags- Donate old furniture and linen to charity

RReeuussee ooppttiioonnss::- Re-use packaging containers for holding and storing other

materials- Re-use glass/plastic bottles as toilet dams in cisterns- Re-use old linen as cleaning rags and laundry bags- Re-use computer/other paper as note paper

RReeccyycclliinngg (Glass, Plastic, Paper, Aluminium, Batteries)- Place separate waste containers in public areas and invite

guests to use the containers as labelled- Install housekeeping carts with separate waste containers- Place separate waste containers in kitchens, other food and

beverage outlets, housekeeping and administration areas- Use containers with lids in preference to plastic wrap- Place bulk containers for separate waste in an appropriate

back area - Collect and store hazardous waste in separate, safe areas- Contact local recycling authorities and dealers for support

If waste is to be successfully prepared and used for recycling, itmust be uniformly sorted and cleaned, and free from bottle-caps,food, metal, plastic, etc. Compactors can be used to reduce wastevolume. This lowers the space required to collect and store wasteand increases its value as a recyclable material. But compactorscan be expensive and are only worthwhile in large properties with

54

AA cchheecckklliisstt oonn wwaassttee mmaannaaggeemmeenntt ffoorr hhoossppiittaalliittyy ffaacciilliittiieess ffoolllloowwsstthhee oorrddeerr ooff tthhee wwaassttee mmaannaaggeemmeenntt hhiieerraarrcchhyy:: Avoid - Reduce - Reuse - Recycle


significant waste volume. Plastic and paper waste usually needs tobe baled and compacted before collection for recycling. Adviceneeds to be obtained from local and/or municipal wastecollection and recycling schemes on the breakdown of litter bytype, preparation of waste, use of compactors, balingspecifications and the market price for recyclables. A survey sheethelps to overview quantities and results.

PPuurrcchhaassiinngg pprraaccttiicceess are the first step towards litter prevention andshould be undertaken in close collaboration with suppliers toensure that the most cost-effective and environmentally-preferablealternative is selected. The hospitality industry is a large buyer ofconsumer goods and services and can, therefore, have asignificant influence on suppliers and contractors. The use ofenvironmentally-preferable products can be a valuable showcasefor corporate environment commitment. The support of the localfood production helps preserve the balance in the environment,while the food circle helps the food recycling. The hospitalitysector should therefore stay mostly local by presentingMediterranean food, thus it helps the local farms & gardens andmaintains top fresh quality. Some purchasing preferences:- Products made entirely or partly with recycled materials- Products manufactured through cleaner production processes - Products that are more durable and last longer- Products with reduced packaging- Products produced in local areas - Products with Eco labels

How the tourism sector can contribute to raisingawareness about proper litter management and therefore about marine litterAwareness-raising, education and training programmes on marinelitter and sustainable waste management should be one of thepriorities in the hospitality industry and should target management,staff, tourists, suppliers, contractors, tour operators, localauthorities and civil society. If related actions are implementedwithin a framework of a Mediterranean-wide campaign then theoverall efforts will be more effective within this specific sector (i.e.if a tourist sees the same slogan, poster, logo, guidelines, etc. as

55

FFoorr ttoouurriissmm bbuussiinneesssseess,, tthhee rreevveennuuee ggaaiinnss tthhrroouugghh tthhee ssaallee ooffrreeuussaabbllee aanndd rreeccyyccllaabbllee wwaasstteess ccaann ggrreeaattllyy ooffffsseett tthhee ccoossttss ooffwwaassttee sseeppaarraattiioonn,, bbaalliinngg aanndd ccoommppaaccttiinngg..

he/she travels through the region his/her behaviour is more likelyto change accordingly).If litter management programmes within the tourism sector are tobe successful, employees must be motivated and trained tointegrate litter reduction into daily operating procedures. SSeenniioorr MMaannaaggeemmeenntt should focus on the education of theemployees and be the example to be followed. They should joinin volunteer work and local community programmes that willenlighten and educate employees and the inhabitants of theregion. HHuummaann RReessoouurrcceess departments in the Hospitality Industry shouldtake into consideration the profile of each employee. Theemployee’s environmental friendly performance should befrequently evaluated. On-the-job training, supported by traininginstruction sheets in the case of complex technical work, is mostsuitable for integrating environment action into hospitalitypractices. Managers, supervisors or external experts (consultants,NGOs, etc.) could conduct this training. To support training efforts,informal seminars and poster displays could be organised. Intourism and hospitality, it is the employees who are in contact withthe customer, who create the experience and who deliver theservice. If they are well informed and motivated to achieveenvironment objectives, this will reflect in their working practicesand improve service quality.MMaannaaggeerr aanndd SSuuppeerrvviissoorrss should show leadership. Small actionssuch as using both sides of office paper and separating waste aregood ways to demonstrate that litter management is a seriouseffort and has company commitment. As the litter managementprogramme gets underway, employees should be kept informed ofprogress, with reports and monitoring sheets posted up,announced at staff meetings and featured in internal newsletters.This will help reinforce responsibility and motivation. Employeemorale may increase as staff come to realise they are working fora business that is concerned about working comfort, safety andenvironmental improvement.

Participation in the litter management program should be acriterion for performance evaluation. ‘Good environment ideas’and ‘outstanding environment contributions’ can be rewarded with

56

OObbjjeeccttiivveess aanndd ttaarrggeettss mmuusstt bbee rreeaalliissttiicc aanndd aacchhiieevvaabbllee ffrroomm aabbuussiinneessss aanndd eennvviirroonnmmeenntt ppeerrssppeeccttiivvee.. AAnn oovveerr--aammbbiittiioouuss ttaarrggeettccaann ddiissccoouurraaggee aaccttiioonn aanndd rreedduuccee eenntthhuussiiaassmm aanndd iinntteerreesstt,, wwhhiilleeaann uunnddeerr--aammbbiittiioouuss oonnee wwiillll nnoott pprroovviiddee aa sseennssee ooff aacchhiieevveemmeennttaanndd iimmppeettuuss ffoorr ccoonnttiinnuuoouuss iimmpprroovveemmeenntt..


prizes. The litter management team should include a representativefrom each department, with responsibility for ensuring that the littermanagement program is implemented in the respectivedepartment. Establishing departmental environment performance targets,facilitates delegation of responsibility, for example, food andbeverage departments could be required to reduce packagingwaste by 20%. EEmmppllooyyeeeess are also the hospitality industry’s biggest publicrelations instruments. They are the best placed to inform visitors ofthe business’s environment policies. This will in turn enhancecorporate image and reputation. Well-trained employees canidentify problem areas and suggest improvements more effectivelythan external consultants and managers. All new employeesshould undergo an environment training program as part of theirinduction.PPuubblliicc RReellaattiioonn and effective communication of messages to visitorsand clients is critical to optimize the business efforts and benefits.There is no point in implementing a litter action plan (or anyenvironmental action plan, e.g. water or energy conservation) ifclients are not properly informed and integrated in the concept.Awareness-raising among guests will multiply the results. Somebasic steps in this direction are to:- Hang a framed copy of the environment policy statement at

the reception- Include the environment policy in the guest information

package- Place tent cards suggesting guests to support litter prevention- Tell guests about the importance of reducing waste- Inform guests about local environmental issues- Integrate the issues in the entertainment of visitors (sketches,

exhibitions, etc.)- Invite guests to participate in local conservation efforts- Invite guests to take part in related events: trash-art exhibitions,

clean ups, etc.MMaarrkkeettiinngg departments should find ways to raise awareness, tobuild commitment, to provide support, to reward and recognizeefforts, celebrate the success accomplished with all partiesinvolved and communicate the results to the Media.

The necessity of coordinated action with other stakeholdersAll actors involved in the tourism and hospitality sector need toparticipate in joint, common actions in order to effectivelycontribute to raising awareness and effectively addressing the

57

marine litter problem in the Mediterranean. The industry itself atregional level could design a framework Action Plan withguidelines on what the various components of the industry coulddo based on size, role in local economy, geographic location,etc. A common communication effort (posters, leaflets, actions)targeting the various actors and regular collaboration with themedia will have a positive effect on everyone involved. Innovativepartnership schemes and activities will have a profound effect aswell.Networking of information, initiatives, efforts and results isimportant at local, national, regional and international levels. Thetourism industry should monitor international and regionalinitiatives on marine litter and be an active instigator of andparticipant in local and national related programmes. It shouldmaintain a constructive and effective collaboration with thecompetent authorities exerting pressure where necessary andbeing supportive when action in the right direction is taken;collaborate with other sectors of the industry (TourismOrganizations, Tour Operator Initiatives, etc.); collaborate closelywith regional, national and local NGOs working on environmentalissues, specifically on waste management, marine litter, IntegratedCoastal Management (ICM) and sustainable development; build acorporate “Green Team” in order to be able to deliver all of theabove, and apply for environmental performance certification andawards.

Actors in a Tourism Area:

58

Media

Tourism and

Hospitality

Industry Tourism

Federations

Tourism

Industry

Suppliers

Local

Population Local

Authorities

Environmental

Associations

Travel

Agencies &

Tour

Operators

TourismArea


The benefits of a proactive involvement of the tourism sector

It is clear that the necessary infrastructures and initiatives in orderto promote waste reduction, re-use and recycling need to bestrengthened and/or launched in the Mediterranean tourismrelated industry, if marine litter levels are to be reduced. In paralleland complementary to this, the promotion of production techniquescovering the entire life-cycle of products, as well as theidentification and implementation of appropriate marketmechanisms (incentives, etc.) for recovered products, reinforcementof national and local waste management capacity and promotionof pilot initiatives to systematically tackle waste from tourism-related activities are also necessary. Tourists are increasingly demanding ‘greener’ services. Thenumerous tourism eco-labels and environmental performanceawards are a strong indication of the growing response of touriststo environmentally responsible services. The benefits ofincorporating responsible litter management practices within thetourism industry are enormous for the industry itself, particularly inthe medium and long term, and for the Mediterranean natural andcultural wealth. More specifically, the Mediterranean Sea andcoastline will be a litter-free attraction for visitors, thus considerablyenhancing the industry with a higher quality of tourism; theindustry will be facilitated to comply with, and even exceed,overall environmental standards, regulations and voluntaryinitiatives; lower costs will be achieved by reducing resource use,improving operating efficiency, lowering waste output, etc.;hospitality venues, services, beaches and marinas will be moresanitary and attractive not only for visitors but also for employeesand local residents essentially contributing to a strengthened localmentality towards sustainable development; the industry will be

59

Travel agencies sshhoouulldd hhaavvee lliitttteerr pprreevveennttiioonn aannddmmaannaaggeemmeenntt aass oonnee ooff tthhee ccrriitteerriiaa wwhheenn eessttaabblliisshhiinngg ccoonnttrraaccttsswwiitthh ttoouurriissmm ddeessttiinnaattiioonnss..Tour operators ccoouulldd pprroommoottee,, ssuuppppoorrtt aanndd ccoonnttrrooll lliitttteerrpprreevveennttiioonn pprrooggrraammss oonn ssiitteeTourism cooperatives, federations, etc. sshhoouulldd pprroovviiddeeiinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aanndd ssuuppppoorrtt ttoo mmeemmbbeerrss,, eessppeecciiaallllyy ffoorr ssmmaallll aannddmmeeddiiuumm ssiizzeedd bbuussiinneesssseess..Tourism industry suppliers can jointly develop vvoolluunnttaarryyppaarrttnneerrsshhiipp aaggrreeeemmeennttss oonn wwaassttee mmaannaaggeemmeenntt,, eeccoo--llaabbeelllliinnggsscchheemmeess,, eettcc..

increasingly acknowledged for its environmental commitment,which is a key factor in promoting the Mediterranean tourismindustry at the global level.

Voluntary tools for tourism businessesBBlluuee FFllaagg IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall:: an exclusive eco-label awarded to over3200 beaches and marinas in 36 countries. The Blue Flag workstowards sustainable development at beaches/marinas throughstrict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental educationand information, environmental management, and safety andother services. The Blue Flag Program includes environmentaleducation and information for the public, decision makers andtourism operators. http://www.blueflag.orgEEuurrooppeeaann EEccoo--llaabbeell ffoorr ttoouurriisstt aaccccoommmmooddaattiioonn sseerrvviiccee ((EEUU FFlloowweerr))::Since 2003 the “European Flower” has been available to hotels,guesthouses, youth hostels and similar services and since 2004the scheme has been extended to cover camping sites. Thus anyaccommodation service in Europe can apply for certification of itsenvironmental performance. http://www.eco-label-tourism.com EEnnvviirroonnmmeennttaall aanndd AAuuddiitt MMaannaaggeemmeenntt SScchheemmee ((EEMMAASS)):: EMAS is avoluntary management system for businesses and organizationsthat wish to improve their operational environmental protectionmeasures on a continual basis beyond the practices called for bylaw. It goes beyond the ISO 14001, the international standard forenvironmental management in businesses.http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/index_en.htm

60

IIff aa bbuussiinneessss wwoorrkkss wwiitthh ttrraavveell aaggeennttss aanndd ttoouurr ooppeerraattoorrss wwhhoohhaavvee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt ppoolliicciieess,, aanndd iiff ccoommppeettiittoorrss hhaavvee bbeegguunn ttoowwoorrkk oonn EEMMSS ((EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt MMaannaaggeemmeenntt SSyysstteemmss)),, iitt iiss lliikkeellyy tthhaattvviissiittoorrss wwiillll bbee rreecceeppttiivvee ttoo eennvviirroonnmmeennttaallllyy rreessppoonnssiibbllee sseerrvviicceess..BBuutt eevveenn wwhheenn eennvviirroonnmmeenntt aaccttiioonn iiss nnoott wwiiddeesspprreeaadd,, aa bbuussiinneessssccaann eennhhaannccee iittss ccoorrppoorraattee iimmaaggee bbyy bbeeccoommiinngg aa ppiioonneeeerr iinneennvviirroonnmmeenntt aaccttiioonn..


61


“Greener Management for Hotels and Restaurants”, (1997), DEHOGA

UNEP (2002), “Tourism and Sustainable Development”

UNEP/MAP (2005), “Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development”

Guillaume, B. & A. Comeau (2005), “Environment & Development Outlook”, The Blue Plan, Earthscan

Useful websites

The VISIT association: http://www.ecotrans.org

Tour Operators Initiative: http://www.toinitiative.org

World Tourism and Travel Council: http://www.wttc.org

The International Eco Tourism Society: http://www.ecotourism.org

International Hotel and Restaurant Association: http://www.ih-ra.com

THE MARITIME

SECTOR

64

Why the maritime community should contribute toaddressing the problem of marine litter in theMediterranean

Merchant shipping, ferries and cruise liners, fishing vessels andpleasure craft, boats and vessels of all kinds, are potential sourcesof marine litter. Depending on their size, smaller or larger amountsof garbage are generated on board. When garbage items, eitherintentionally or accidentally, end-up in the sea they contribute tothe problem of marine litter. Waste management plans are required by international law forlarger vessels, while preparations for proper waste managementshould be made in advance also by those on board smallervessels and pleasure craft. Unfortunately, not all waste is stored onboard and discharged ashore in a proper reception facility ordisposed of, in the case of large vessels, using the incinerator. Marine litter produced by the maritime sector along with othertypes of pollutants such as oil from vessels, tarnish the image ofglobal shipping deterring efforts of the industry to project its“green” credentials. It is a fact that a large segment of the publicstill associates marine litter primarily with shipping activities.Therefore, it is in the major interest of the maritime community toaddress the problem of marine litter, not only in accordance withexisting international legislative requirements, but going a stepfurther seeking optimal solutions for solid waste management onboard. Recognizing that ships vary considerably in size, mission andcapability, this chapter addresses not only the professional andcommercial maritime community, but also non-commercialseafarers as they also constitute a significant source of marinelitter pollution.

How boats and vessels of all types contribute tothe problem of marine litter

Garbage may be intentionally thrown overboard due to indifferenceor limited space on board for storage, combined with lack ofreception facilities. Garbage items may also accidentally fall or beblown/washed off vessels into the water under adverse weather

The Maritime sector


65

conditions. Additionally, fishing nets and lines and other types ofequipment may be lost at sea accidentally and become marine litter.Marine litter is defined as any persistent, manufactured orprocessed solid material disposed of or abandoned in the marineand coastal environment. In this context, for the purpose of thischapter the term “garbage” is used for all kinds of domestic oroperational waste generated during the normal operation of theship, which may potentially end-up as marine litter.In general terms, maritime activities that contribute to the marinelitter problem can be categorized as follows:

ñ Shipping

According to MARPOL Annex V, the basic categories of ship-generated garbage are depicted in the diagram below.

From the above, the following categories of solid wastes can beconsidered as potential marine litter:

A. Domestic waste (excluding food waste unless mixedwith solid wastes)

Domestic wastes including wet and dry garbage represent alltypes of solid wastes generated in the living quarters of a ship,such as paper products, textiles, glass, rags, bottles, plastic items,etc. This category also includes all materials contaminated by foodwastes generated in the galley and dining rooms and disposed of

Ship-generatedgarbage

Domestic wasteproduced from livingquarters and other

spaces on board ships

Wet garbage of foodwastes and other wet

sanitary residues

Dry garbage fromliving quarters, and

other spaces

Maintenance wastefrom engine room anddeck operations such

as soot, rags, etc.

Cargo associatedwaste such asdunnage, steel

strapping, pallets, etc.

Cargo residuesremaining in the holds

or on the deck ofcargo ships

Operational wasteproduced during the

normal operation anddaily maintenance

BBaassiicc ccaatteeggoorriieess ooff sshhiipp--ggeenneerraatteedd ggaarrbbaaggee

66

as solid materials and also of refuse produced in living spaces ofcrew and passengers including paper products, textiles, glass,rags, bottles, etc. Domestic waste can also originate from medicalspaces including expired medicines, lining and packing material,sweepings, etc.

B. Operational waste This category consists of cargo-associated wastes originating fromcargo stowage and handling works in general and maintenancewastes collected by the engine department and the deckdepartment while maintaining and operating the vessel.With regards to ccaarrggoo--aassssoocciiaatteedd wwaassttee,, the largest source ofshipboard solid waste in both volume and weight is waste due tobreak bulk cargo operations. Such waste consists of dunnage,pallets, paper and cardboard material, wire and steel strapping,etc. A variety of works regularly carried out on board ships, such ascleaning of boilers, tanks, decks and platforms result in theproduction of mmaaiinntteennaannccee wwaasstteess.. This category includes wastessuch as machinery deposits, scraped paint, deck sweeping,wiping wastes, rags, etc., the quantity of which that can beaccumulated on a large sea-going ship could exceed 20 kgdaily.

ñ Fishing vessels

Depending on their size and type of activity, fishing vessels mayalso generate smaller or larger amounts of garbage. If notmanaged correctly, both domestic and operational wastes mayend up in the sea as marine litter.Domestic wastes from fishing vessels are much the same as thosedescribed previously in the shipping section, but their volume mayvary depending on the number of the vessel’s crew and time at sea.Regarding the operation of fishing vessels, maintenance wastescan also be much the same as those described in the shippingsection, again depending on the vessel’s size and type of fishingactivity.However, it is the gear and equipment associated with the fishing

UUssuuaallllyy aabboouutt 11..55 –– 22..55 kkgg ooff ddoommeessttiicc wwaassttee iiss ggeenneerraatteedd oonn aaddaaiillyy bbaassiiss ppeerr ppeerrssoonn oonn aa ccoommmmeerrcciiaall ccaarrggoo sshhiipp aanndd aabboouuttttwwiiccee aass mmuucchh oonn aa ppaasssseennggeerr sshhiipp.. OOnn aavveerraaggee,, 7755%% ppeerrwweeiigghhtt aanndd 1100%% ppeerr vvoolluummee ooff ddoommeessttiicc wwaassttee iiss ffoooodd wwaasstteeaanndd tthhee rreemmaaiinniinngg 2255%% ppeerr wweeiigghhtt aanndd 9900%% ppeerr vvoolluummee iissrreeffuussee..


67

activity that is considered a major problematic area with regardsto marine litter. Materials used at sea by fishermen includesynthetic materials, such as trawl and fishing nets, net fragments,bait gaskets, floats, synthetic rope, plastic sheeting andpackaging, fiberglass and strapping bands. In addition to the fact that fishing gear and equipment is largelymade of synthetic material and is not biodegradable, “ghostfishing” (entrapment of marine life in discharged fishing gear) fromlost nets kills thousands of fish and marine mammals that maybecome entangled in it.

ñ Pleasure craft

Pleasure craft activities have expanded considerably in theMediterranean region and are now one of the key sectors ofMediterranean tourism. This has resulted in an additional source ofincome and in the creation of direct and indirect jobs. Thus, theseactivities play an important economic and social role. However, the development of marinas and the increasing densityof boats and yachts in some parts of the Mediterranean have ledto a serious concern with respect to the potential harm it maycause to the marine environment.

Domestic and maintenance wastes from pleasure craft are muchthe same as those described previously in the section on shipping,but their volume may vary depending on factors such as numberof crew and passengers, boat size, time at sea, etc.Paper products, aluminum cans, plastic containers, glass bottles,disposable eating utensils, fishing lines, etc., are just a few of thetypical waste products used in pleasure craft that may result asmarine litter if discarded overboard. Two important factors that add to the problem of marine litter frompleasure craft are: (i) the often limited space on board pleasure craft for storage ofgarbage, and(ii) the lack of adequate facilities for the reception of garbage atmost marinas.

TThhee ggeenneerraattiioonn ooff ggaarrbbaaggee oonn pplleeaassuurree ccrraafftt tthhaatt mmaayy eenndd--uuppaass mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr iiss ccoonnssiiddeerreedd rreellaattiivveellyy ssmmaalllleerr ccoommppaarreedd ttooootthheerr ttyyppeess ooff vveesssseellss,, mmaaiinnllyy dduuee ttoo tthheeiirr lliimmiitteedd ssiizzee..HHoowweevveerr,, ccoonnssiiddeerriinngg tthhee llaarrggee nnuummbbeerr ooff pplleeaassuurree ccrraafftt iinn tthheeMMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann aanndd tthheeiirr aabbiilliittyy ttoo aapppprrooaacchh uunnssppooiilltt sseecclluuddeeddbbeeaacchheess aanndd iissllaannddss,, tthheessee aarree rreeggaarrddeedd aass aa ssiiggnniiffiiccaannttccoonnttrriibbuuttoorr ttoo tthhee mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr pprroobblleemm..

68

How to raise awareness amongst maritimestakeholders on the marine litter issueAlthough garbage may enter the marine environment accidentallyfrom boats, most of the time it is thrown into the seas and oceansby seafaring people who are not aware of the problems this maycause. Therefore, an essential part of any action plan to addressthe problem of marine litter is the implementation of awarenessraising campaigns by intergovernmental organizations, competentgovernment agencies, the maritime industry itself and otherstakeholders.

ñ Legislative framework

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution fromShips (MARPOL 73/78) sets the international legislativeframework for dealing with ship-generated marine pollution. It hasbeen adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO),which is the UN’s specialized agency responsible for improvingmaritime safety and preventing pollution from ships. Annex V ofthe Convention sets the requirements regarding the Prevention ofPollution by Garbage from Ships and designates a number ofSpecial Areas where more stringent requirements exist.Although the Mediterranean Sea has been designated a SpecialArea for the purpose of MARPOL Annex V, this provision has notyet entered into force due to the lack of adequate receptionfacilities.There are two basic principles regarding the disposal of garbageat sea within special areas:- Plastics are prohibited from disposal into the sea.- No other garbage may be discharged, except for food waste

(under certain conditions) within 12 nautical miles from thenearest land.

Specific garbage disposal requirements for ships within andoutside Special Areas are presented in the Table below.


Annex V of MARPOL 73/78 also requires vessels over 400 tons,or ships certified to carry more than 15 persons, to develop andimplement a garbage management plan, which containsprocedures for collecting, storing, processing and disposal ofgarbage. Ships may also be fitted with appropriate garbagehandling equipment, such as compactors or incinerators.Such vessels need to enter details of every garbage managementoperation such as incineration or disposal in a garbage recordbook. The record book and any receipt for using a wastereception facility in port must be kept for two years and beavailable for inspection by authorities.The IMO has recently initiated an on-going process for the reviewof Annex V to MARPOL 73/78, which is scheduled to becompleted by October 2008. For this purpose, it has set up aCorrespondence Group of Experts, who will make theirrecommendations to the Marine Environment Protection Committee(MEPC) of the Organization. Basic issues being discussed include,among other:- Introducing a general concept to minimise the generation of

69

TTyyppee ooff ggaarrbbaaggeeGGaarrbbaaggee DDiissppoossaall ffrroomm SShhiippss

OOuuttssiiddee SSppeecciiaall AArreeaass WWiitthhiinn SSppeecciiaall AArreeaass

Plastics, including

synthetic ropes,

fishing nets and plastic

garbage bags.

Floating dunnage,

lining and packing

materials.

Paper, rags, glass,

metal, bottles, crockery

and similar refuse.

All other garbage

including paper, rags,

glass, etc. comminuted

or ground.

Food waste not

comminuted or ground.

Food waste

comminuted or ground.

Mixed refuse types.

Disposal Prohibited

> 25 miles offshore

> 12 miles

> 3 miles

>12 miles

> 3 miles

**

Disposal Prohibited

Disposal Prohibited

Disposal Prohibited

Disposal Prohibited

>12 miles

> 12 miles

**

** When garbage is mixed with

other harmful substances

having different disposal or

discharge requirements, the

more stringent disposal

requirements shall apply.

garbage, including encouragement of ships to offload all garbageto reception facilities instead of discharging it into the marineenvironment;- Assessment of the potentially harmful effects of residues of bulk

cargoes, such as pet coke, fertilizers etc., which are currentlyallowed to be discharged at sea under certain conditions.

- Considering provisions that mitigate the loss of fishing gear,including the recording of accidental loss of fishing nets in thegarbage record book and setting a general obligation toattempt to recover such nets;

- Assessment of sea-based sources of marine debris, as existingdata is rare.

Regional Strategy for Prevention of and Response to MarinePollution from Ships, adopted in November 2005 by theContracting parties to the Barcelona Convention. It includes,among other, requirements regarding provision of port receptionfacilities for ships, delivery of ship-generated wastes and reductionof pollution from pleasure craft activities. The latter is a specificobjective, upon which REMPEC is currently preparing Guidelinesfor pleasure craft, marinas and relevant facilities.The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries was adopted in 1995by the Fishery Department of the UN Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO) with the aim of promoting sustainabledevelopment of responsible fisheries and contributing to food security.Regarding garbage, the Management Objectives include that:- Appropriate measures are taken to ensure that pollution,

waste, discards, catch by lost or abandoned gear etc. areminimised through measures including the development anduse of selective, environmentally safe and cost-effective fishinggear and techniques;

- Fishing gear, methods and practices, to the extent practicable,are sufficiently selective so as to minimise waste, discards, lossof fishing equipment, etc.;

- States should take measures to protect the aquatic environmentin accordance with the MARPOL 73/78 Convention, andowners, charterers and managers of fishing vessels should (i)consider fitting a shipboard compactor or incinerator torelevant classes of vessels in order to treat garbage and othershipboard wastes generated during the vessel's normal service,and (ii) minimise the taking aboard of potential garbagethrough proper provisioning practices.

European Commission legislation (applicable to Mediterranean EUMember-States): A number of EU Directives and Regulations arerelated to prevention of marine litter from ships and vessels of alltypes. These can be viewed in relation to the requirements of theBarcelona Convention in the diagram below.

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71

OOVVEERRVVIIEEWW OOFF BBAASSIICC EE..UU.. AANNDD BBAARRCCEELLOONNAACCOONNVVEENNTTIIOONN LLEEGGAALL FFRRAAMMEEWWOORRKK RREELLAATTEEDD WWIITTHH

WWAASSTTEE MMAANNAAGGEEMMEENNTT PPLLAANNNNIINNGG

Ship-generated wastestreams

ñ Oily wastes

ñ Garbage

ñ Sewage

ñ Wastes and residuesfrom the carriage ofnoxius liquidsubstances

Characterization,collection, temporary

storage and, ingeneral, management

of wastes

Waste Framework(75/442/EECDirective)

Hazardous Waste(91/689/EEC Directive)

Waste Oils(75/439/EEC Directive)

Port reception facilities(2000/59/EECDirective)

Protocol for theprotection of theMediterranean Seaagainst pollution fromland - based sources,1996

Treatment & disposalof wastes

Landfill of waste(99/31/EC Directive)

Incineration of waste(2000/76/ECDirective)

Integrated PollutionPrevention and Control(96/61/EC Directive)

Shipment, import andexport

Supervision andcontrol of trans-frontier shipments ofwaste (EC Regulation259/93)

Protocol on thePrevention of Pollutionof the MediterraneanSea by transboundarymovements ofhazardous waste andtheir disposal, 1996(with interest only to by-products produced from thetreatment of ship-generatedwastes)

Good practice example – Regional initiativeTThhee SSaavvee tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaa PPrroojjeecctt wwaass eessttaabblliisshheedd iinn 22000022 aass aarreessuulltt ooff ggrroowwiinngg ccoonncceerrnn aanndd aawwaarreenneessss tthhaatt mmaarriinnee lliitttteerrccaauusseess ffiinnaanncciiaall aanndd eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall pprroobblleemmss.. IItt iiss ccoollllaabboorraattiioonnbbeettwweeeenn nnoonn--pprrooffiitt oorrggaanniizzaattiioonnss,, ccoommppaanniieess,, ppoolliittiiccaalloorrggaanniizzaattiioonnss aanndd ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt aaggeenncciieess ccoonncceerrnneedd aabboouutt tthheerriissiinngg lleevveellss ooff mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr iinn tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaa.. TThhee pprroojjeecctt aaiimmss aatt ccoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg ttoowwaarrddss aa ssuussttaaiinnaabblleeddeevveellooppmmeenntt iinn tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaa rreeggiioonn bbyy cchhaannggiinngg tthhee aattttiittuuddeessttoo mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr aammoonngg tthhee ttaarrggeett ggrroouuppss wwhhoo uussee tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaabbootthh ccoommmmeerrcciiaallllyy aanndd rreeccrreeaattiioonnaallllyy.. TThhuuss,, tthhee mmaaiinn ttaarrggeettggrroouuppss aarree ffiisshheerrmmeenn,, sseeaaffaarreerrss,, lleeiissuurree bbooaatt oowwnneerrss,, ooffff--sshhoorreewwoorrkkeerrss aanndd ppeeooppllee wwhhoo ssppeenndd ttiimmee aatt tthhee bbeeaacchh..

ñ Information flow/channels

With regards to the maritime community, the diagram belowdepicts in general the various levels of actors/stakeholders in theMediterranean and the information flow.

ñ Training, education and awareness raising

Common programmes throughout the Mediterranean in the field oftraining and education can make a valuable contribution to raisingthe awareness of seafarers, thus leading to a reduction in theamount of ship-generated garbage.Audiences should include recreational boaters and fishermen, portand terminal operators, coastal communities, ship supplyindustries, shipbuilders, waste management industries, plastic

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TThhee SSaavvee tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaa pprroojjeecctt hhaass ccaarrrriieedd oouutt aa wwiiddee rraannggee ooffaaccttiivviittiieess ttoo iinnfflluueennccee tthheessee ggrroouuppss aanndd ttoo rreedduuccee mmaarriinnee lliitttteerriinnggiinn tthhee lloonngg rruunn,, iinncclluuddiinngg ffiisshheerrmmeenn bbrriinnggiinngg bbaacckk ttoo sshhoorree lliitttteerrffoouunndd iinn tthheeiirr nneettss aanndd tthhee IInnddiivviidduuaall BBlluuee FFllaagg,, aa vvoolluunnttaarryy ccooddeeooff pprraaccttiiccee ddeessiiggnneedd ttoo eennccoouurraaggee pprriivvaattee pplleeaassuurree ccrraafftt oowwnneerrssttoo ddeeccrreeaassee mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr..

Inter-governmental

Organizations

(i.e. IMO, UNEP/MAP, EU)

Competent national authorities in Mediterranean States

(i.e. Ministries of Merchant Marine/Agriculture and

Fisheries/Environment, etc.)

Corporate entities

(i.e. shipping companies, port

authorities, yacht charterers, etc.)

Target users (i.e. seafarers on

board merchant ships, fishing

vessels, pleasure craft)

Umbrella organizations (i.e.

chambers of shipping, unions of

shipowners, seamen’s

federations, fishing associations

and cooperatives, sailing and

yacht clubs, NGOs, etc.)


manufacturers and fabricators, trade associations, educators andcompetent government departments.The subjects addressed in these programmes are recommended toinclude the basic principles of sustainable development (economic,social and environmental interrelations); the responsibilities ofcitizens under national and international law; options for handlinggarbage at sea and upon return to shore; known sources andtypes of garbage; impacts of plastic debris on seabirds, fish,marine mammals and sea turtles; impacts on ship operations,coastal tourist trade; current action by governments and privateorganizations; sources of further information.The development and implementation of such programmes canprove much more efficient if conducted by umbrella organisationssuch as chambers, associations, NGOs and other industrystakeholders that possess a clear insight on the industry’s workingsand practicalities. In the occasion of a lack of such stakeholders incertain Mediterranean countries, government initiative inpartnership with relevant regional bodies is even more crucial.

Professional seafarersCompetent government departments, umbrella organisations andother relevant stakeholders should develop and undertake training,education and public information programmes suited for allseafaring communities under their jurisdiction. Governments should amend their maritime certificationexaminations and requirements, as appropriate, to include aknowledge of duties imposed by national and international lawregarding the control of pollution of the sea by garbage.Moreover, they should request from maritime colleges andtechnical institutes under their jurisdiction to develop or expandcurricula to include both the legal duties and the technical optionsavailable to professional seafarers for handling ship-generatedgarbage. These should also include information on theenvironmental impacts of garbage and the principles ofsustainable development. Suggested topics to be included in thecurriculum are the following:

i) garbage in the marine environment, sources, types and impacts;

ii) national and international laws relating to shipboard waste management;

iii) health and sanitation considerations related to the storage, handling and transfer of ship-generated garbage;

iv) current technology for on-board and shoreside processing of ship-generated garbage;

v) ships’ supply practices, materials and procedures to minimiseshipboard generation of garbage.

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Professional associations and societies of ship officers, engineers,naval architects, shipowners, managers and seafarers areencouraged to ensure their members’ competency regarding thehandling of ship-generated waste. Ship-managing companies and fishing vessel managers areencouraged to ensure that relevant placards are permanentlyposted in suitable areas of ships under their management,summarizing the prohibitions and restrictions for the disposal ofgarbage from ships under MARPOL Annex V and the penalties forfailure to comply. These placards should be clearly visible, madeof durable material and fixed in a conspicuous place in galleyspaces, the mess deck, wardroom, bridge, main deck and otherareas of the ship, as appropriate. The information containedshould be in the language or languages understood by the crewand passengers.Vessel and port reception facilities’ operators should establishawareness raising and training programmes for personneloperating and maintaining garbage reception or processingequipment. These may include instructions on what constitutesgarbage and the applicable regulations for handling anddisposing of it. Such training should be revised annually.

Non-professional seafarersIt is crucial that the development of pleasure craft activities in theMediterranean is accompanied by suitable measures to mitigatethe impact these activities have on the marine environment andcoastal areas. Authorities should develop and implement within the framework ofa region-wide awareness campaign and jointly with qualifiedNGOs training programmes, targeting the personnel of theiradministrations or agencies involved in the management andmonitoring of pleasure craft activities and the prevention of marinepollution. These programs should include sound knowledge onapplicable international, regional or national regulations, includingany sanctions incurred in case of violations. They should alsoclearly describe the various sources of pollution and environmentalimpacts that may originate from pleasure craft activities,applicable regulations as well as measures that users shouldimplement in order to comply with the relevant requirements. Potential means for delivering such information include:- radio and television broadcasts,- articles in periodicals and specialized journals, - voluntary initiatives, such as beach cleanups and adopt-a-

beach programmes, - public statements by high-ranking government officials and

famous personalities,

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An example of a motivational

placard is the one produced by

the Hellenic Marine Environment

Protection Association

(HELMEPA), which is prominently

placed on over 500 member-

vessels of the Association,

reminding crew and passengers

on limitations regarding waste

disposal.


- posters, brochures, leaflets, etc.- conferences and symposia, - educational material for schoolchildren, drawing contests, etc.

Key elements on which awareness raising should focus

ñ Minimising the amount of potential marine litter

Domestic wasteDomestic waste may be minimised through proper supplypractices. Ship operators and competent government departmentsshould encourage ships’ suppliers and chandlers to consider theirproducts in terms of the garbage they generate. Options availableto decrease the amount of domestic waste aboard ships includethe following:

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Good practice example – “Good Mate” cleanboating programmeTThhiiss iiss aa pprrooggrraammmmee ddeevveellooppeedd bbyy tthhee WWaasshhiinnggttoonn--bbaasseedd NNGGOOOOcceeaann CCoonnsseerrvvaannccyy ttoo rraaiissee aawwaarreenneessss aanndd pprroommootteeeennvviirroonnmmeennttaallllyy rreessppoonnssiibbllee bbooaattiinngg aanndd mmaarriinnaa ooppeerraattiioonnss.. IIttpprroovviiddeess rreeccrreeaattiioonnaall bbooaatteerrss aanndd mmaarriinnaa ooppeerraattoorrss wwiitthh tthheeiinnffoorrmmaattiioonn tthheeyy nneeeedd iinn oorrddeerr ttoo hheellpp tthheemm ddeevveellooppeennvviirroonnmmeennttaallllyy ssoouunndd pprraaccttiicceess ttoo rreedduuccee ppoolllluuttiioonn,, kkeeeepp ffiisshhtthhrriivviinngg aanndd mmaakkee bbooaattiinngg pplleeaassaanntt aanndd ssaaffee.. GGoooodd MMaattee iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aanndd eedduuccaattiioonnaall mmaatteerriiaallss hhaavvee bbeeeenniinnccoorrppoorraatteedd nnaattiioonnaallllyy iinnttoo tthhee ssaaffee bbooaattiinngg aanndd eennvviirroonnmmeennttaallttrraaiinniinngg pprrooggrraammmmeess ooff TThhee UU..SS.. CCooaasstt GGuuaarrdd AAuuxxiilliiaarryy aanndd tthheeUU..SS.. CCooaasstt GGuuaarrdd SSeeaa PPaarrttnneerrss CCaammppaaiiggnn..

AAwwaarreenneessss rraaiissiinngg aanndd eedduuccaattiioonn ccaammppaaiiggnnss oonn tthheemmaannaaggeemmeenntt ooff mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr wwiitthhiinn tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann mmaarriittiimmeesseeccttoorr sshhoouulldd aaddddrreessss sshhiipp aanndd ffiisshhiinngg vveesssseell ooppeerraattoorrss,, mmaasstteerrssaanndd ccrreewwss,, nnoonn--pprrooffeessssiioonnaall sseeaaffaarreerrss aanndd aallll ootthheerr ppaarrttiieessiinnvvoollvveedd ttoowwaarrddss::((ii)) mmiinniimmiissiinngg tthhee ttaakkiinngg aabbooaarrdd ooff ppootteennttiiaall ggaarrbbaaggee aanndd oonn

bbooaarrdd ggeenneerraattiioonn ooff ggaarrbbaaggee,,((iiii)) ssaaffee hhaannddlliinngg,, pprroocceessssiinngg aanndd//oorr ssttoorraaggee ooff ggaarrbbaaggee oonn

bbooaarrdd sshhiippss aanndd bbooaattss,, aanndd((iiiiii)) eennvviirroonnmmeennttaallllyy ssoouunndd ddiissppoossaall ooff ggaarrbbaaggee ffrroomm sshhiippss,,

ffiisshhiinngg vveesssseellss aanndd pplleeaassuurree ccrraafftt..

- Bulk packaging of consumable items. However, factors such asexpiry date once a container is opened must be considered toavoid increasing wastes.

- Reusable packaging and containers. Use of disposable cups,utensils, dishes, towels and rags and other convenience itemsmust be limited and replaced by washable items whenpossible.

- Where practical options exist, provisions packaged in or madeof materials other than disposable plastic should be selected toreplenish ship supplies unless a reusable plastic alternative isavailable.

Operational wasteOperational waste generation is specific to individual shipactivities and cargoes. Awareness raising initiatives shouldencourage manufacturers, ship operators and competentgovernment departments to consider the garbage associated withvarious categories of cargoes and take all necessary action tominimise its generation. Such actions could include the following:- Replacing disposable plastic sheeting used for cargo protection

with permanent, reusable covering material.- Use of stowage systems and methods that reuse coverings,

dunnage, shoring, lining and packing materials.- Dunnage, lining and packaging materials generated in port

during cargo discharge should preferably be disposed of tothe port reception facilities and not retained on board fordischarge at sea.

Fishing gearAwareness raising and education campaigns should encouragefishing vessel operators, their organisations and competentgovernment departments to take all necessary measures tominimise the probability of loss and maximize the probability ofrecovery of fishing gear from the marine environment. Sometechniques to achieve the above are:- Fishing vessel operators and associations using untended, fixed

or drifting gear should be encouraged to develop informationexchanges with other ship traffic to minimise accidentalencounters between ships and gear. Competent governmentdepartments should encourage the development of relevantinformation systems.

- Fishery managers should consider the probability of encountersbetween ship traffic and fishing gear when establishingseasons, areas and gear-type regulations.

- Fishery managers, fishing vessel operators and associationsshould be encouraged to utilise gear identification systems

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which provide information such as vessel name, registrationnumber and nationality etc. Such systems may be useful topromote reporting, recovery and return of lost gear.

- Fishing vessel operators should be encouraged to documentpositions and reasons for loss of their gear. To reduce thepotential of entanglement and “ghost fishing”, benthic traps,trawl and gill nets could be designed to have degradablepanels or sections made of natural fiber twine, wood or wire.

ñ Shipboard garbage handling and storage procedures

Compliance with the provisions of Annex V requires carefulplanning by the ship operator and proper implementation ofprocedures by crew members and other seafarers. The mostappropriate procedures for handling and storing garbage onboard ships varies depending on factors such as type and size ofthe ship, distance form nearest land, shipboard garbageprocessing equipment and storage space, crew size, duration ofvoyage and existing regulations and reception facilities at ports ofcall. Taking into consideration the costs associated with thedifferent ultimate disposal techniques, it may also be economicallybeneficial to keep garbage requiring special handling separatefrom other garbage. Proper handling and storage will minimizeshipboard storage space requirements and enable efficient transferof retained garbage to port reception facilities. Garbage management plans should identify crew responsibilities(including an environmental control officer) and procedures

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Good practice example – Fishing for LitterTThhee FFiisshhiinngg ffoorr LLiitttteerr pprroojjeecctt wwaass oorriiggiinnaallllyy ssttaarrtteedd bbyy tthhee NNoorrtthhSSeeaa DDiirreeccttoorraattee ooff tthhee DDuuttcchh GGoovveerrnnmmeenntt iinn ccoo--ooppeerraattiioonn wwiitthh tthheeDDuuttcchh FFiisshheerriieess AAssssoocciiaattiioonn iinn MMaarrcchh 22000000.. TThhee aaiimm ooff tthheepprroojjeecctt wwaass ttoo cclleeaarr tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaa ffrroomm lliitttteerr bbyy bbrriinnggiinngg aasshhoorreetthhee lliitttteerr tthhaatt iiss ttrraawwlleedd uupp aass ppaarrtt ooff ffiisshhiinngg aaccttiivviittiieess aannddddiissppoossiinngg ooff iitt oonn llaanndd.. TThhiiss iiss aacchhiieevveedd bbyy iinnffoorrmmiinnggssttaakkeehhoollddeerrss iinn tthhee ffiisshhiinngg iinndduussttrryy aanndd pprroovviiddiinngg llaarrggeehhaarrddwweeaarriinngg bbaaggss ttoo tthhee bbooaattss ssoo tthhaatt tthhee wwaassttee ccaann bbee eeaassiillyyccoolllleecctteedd aanndd ddeeppoossiitteedd oonn tthhee qquuaayyssiiddee.. TThhee ccooooppeerraattiioonn ooff tthheevveesssseellss aanndd tthheeiirr ccrreeww wwaass oonn aa vvoolluunnttaarryy bbaassiiss..KKIIMMOO IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall,, aa llooccaall aauutthhoorriittiieess’’ iinntteerrnnaattiioonnaalleennvviirroonnmmeennttaall oorrggaanniizzaattiioonn,, eexxtteennddeedd tthhee sscchheemmee ttoo ootthheerr ppoorrttssaarroouunndd tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaa iinn SSwweeddeenn aanndd tthhee UUKK,, aass ppaarrtt ooff tthhee EEUUccoo--ffuunnddeedd SSaavvee tthhee NNoorrtthh SSeeaa pprroojjeecctt.. BByy tthhee eenndd ooff tthhee tthhrreeee--yyeeaarr pprroojjeecctt iinn 22000044 5544 bbooaattss wweerree iinnvvoollvveedd iinn 44 ccoouunnttrriieess aanndd445500 ttoonnss ooff lliitttteerr hhaadd bbeeeenn ccoolllleecctteedd..

encompassing all aspects of handling and storing garbageaboard the ship. Besides legislative requirements, awareness raising and educationcampaigns should also encourage operators and seafarers onboard smaller vessels and pleasure craft to make in advance allnecessary preparations for proper waste management.

CollectionGarbage must be continuously collected where it is generated,separated accordingly and stored at suitable places until handedover to shore facilities. The implementation of awareness-raisingand education campaigns are of vital importance for promoting tocrews and passengers the separation of garbage at source, thusreducing the need for its separation after collection and facilitatingits transfer to port reception facilities and its subsequentmanagement.To reduce or avoid the need for sorting after collection, collectingcontainers of suitable sizes and designs should be provided toreceive different types of garbage, such as plastic waste, foodwaste, paper, wood, glass, metal, oily solid waste, hazardouswaste (e.g. batteries, fluorescent lamps) and other garbage, at theplaces where the garbage is generated. These separate containers (e.g. cans, litter bins etc) will have clearwaste description in English and any other language spoken onboard. Additionally, the containers can be color-coded to enablesorting/collection. Containers should be placed in appropriatespaces throughout the ship (e.g. the engine-room, mess deck,wardroom, galley and other living/working areas) and all crewmembers and passengers should be advised on a regular basis onwhat types of garbage should and should not be discarded inthem. Crew responsibilities should be assigned for collecting andemptying these receptacles at the appropriate processing orstorage location. Such a system will facilitate subsequentshipboard processing and minimize the amount of garbage to bestored on board for return to the port.Regarding the collection of recyclable items, such as glass, metal,plastics, paper etc., proper depositing of such items by crewmembers may also be encouraged by using funds from their returntowards the crews’ recreation. Synthetic fishing net and line scraps generated by the repair oroperation of fishing gear may not be discarded at sea and shouldbe collected in a manner that avoids its loss overboard. Suchmaterial may be incinerated, compacted, stored along with otherplastic waste or preferably kept separate, as it has great volumeand strong odor.

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Specific awareness raising campaigns should target seafarers torecover derelict fishing gear and other persistent garbage from themarine environment during their routine operations and retain it fordisposal ashore. If lost pots or traps are recovered and there is no space availableon board for storage, fishermen and other seafarers should beencouraged to remove and transport any line and webbing to portfor disposal and return the bare frames to the water, oralternatively to cut open the traps so they don’t pose a threat tomarine life.

ProcessingDepending on factors such as type of ship, area of operation,crew size etc., ships may be equipped with treatment equipment,such as compactors, incinerators and other devices to reduce thevolume and handling of solid waste. Users of such equipmentshould be made aware and regularly reminded that waste mustnot be treated or changed in such a manner that it will beimpossible or economically not feasible to recycle by shorefacilities.

StorageShip-generated garbage should be delivered to designatedprocessing or storage locations. While stored on board the ship, itmay require long-term storage depending on the length of thevoyage or arrangements for off-loading (e.g. transferring garbageto an offshore vessel for incineration or subsequent transferashore). In all cases, garbage must be stored in a manner thatavoids health and safety hazards. Awareness raising and education campaigns should inform shipand fishing vessel operators, masters and crews, passengers andrecreational boaters on the fact that a large part of garbage itemsthat end-up in the sea as marine litter is accidentally swept orblown off the ship due to insufficient storage. It is of vitalimportance that trash cans, litter bins and on-deck storage areasare protected against seawater and the weather as far aspossible.

ñ Disposal of garbage from ships, fishing vessels and pleasure craft

Although discharge at sea, except in Special Areas, of a widerange of ship-generated garbage is permitted outside specifieddistances from the nearest land, awareness raising and educationcampaigns should strongly encourage all maritime stakeholders ttoooopptt ffoorr ddiissppoossaall aatt sshhoorree rreecceeppttiioonn ffaacciilliittiieess.

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Such campaigns should also target ships’ managing companiesand fishing vessel operators highlighting the following issues withregards to the proper disposal of garbage that otherwise mayend-up as marine litter:- Most cargo-associated waste may be generated during the

loading and unloading process, usually at dock side. It isrecommended that every effort be made to deliver thesewastes to the nearest port reception facility system prior to theship’s departure.

- Maintenance wastes are generated more or less steadilyduring the course of routine ship operations. In some cases,maintenance wastes may be contaminated with substances,such as oil or toxic chemicals, which are controlled under otherMARPOL annexes or pollution control laws. In such cases, themore stringent disposal requirements take precedence.

- To ensure timely transfer of large quantities of ship-generatedgarbage to port reception facilities, it is essential for ships ortheir agents to make arrangements well in advance forgarbage reception. At the same time, disposal needs shouldbe identified in order to make arrangements for garbagerequiring special handling or other necessary arrangements.

Besides international regulations and legislation, awarenessraising and education campaigns should target all types of vesseloperators and seafarers promoting the elimination of solid wastedischarge into the marine environment. Garbage should be storedon board and discharged ashore in a proper reception facility. However, this requires the provision of reception facilities in allmajor ports, commercial and fishing harbors and marinas. It alsocalls for harmonized regional and global regulations to avoid thatharbors/marinas are not adequately equipped to take care of thewaste and/or that they cause ships undue delay in port. Also,ships should not be deterred from discharging waste to portreception facilities due to high costs, complicated procedures,unnecessary paperwork, excessive sanitary regulations, customsregulations, etc. Furthermore, coastal municipalities must makesure that the waste left in reception facilities is properly taken careof on land, in a manner that is optimal in terms of caring for theenvironment and human health.It is essential that governments, the maritime industry and otherstakeholders initiate and continuously implement research studieson reception facilities, treatment and disposal of garbage.

Benefits from the proactive involvement of the maritime communityWhether for work or for pleasure, a huge number of ships and

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boats of all types use the Mediterranean Sea for their activities.Maritime traffic in the Mediterranean is characterized by a largenumber of ports (over 300) and by a significant volume of traffic,which transits the Mediterranean without ships entering any ofthese ports.With regards to merchant shipping, the volume of traffic in theMediterranean, which geographically represents less that 1% ofthe global ocean surface, is particularly high. It is estimated thatabout 30% of the international seaborne trade volume originatesor is directed to the Mediterranean ports or passes through theMediterranean. According to estimates provided by REMPEC,200,000 merchant vessels of over 100 GRT cross theMediterranean annually, while 2,000 such vessels are at sea atany moment.Regarding fishing fleets in the Mediterranean, it is more difficult toacquire accurate data. However, the fact that there are over40,000 fishing vessels in EU Mediterranean States, 33,000 ofwhich are under 12 metres, indicates the huge number of fishingboats in the Mediterranean and portrays their small-scale artisanalcharacteristics. Economic and tourism development over the past two decadeshave resulted in the development of marinas and the increasingdensity of pleasure boats and yachts in parts of theMediterranean. There are no accurate numbers for this rapidlyexpanding fleet, but it is estimated that the volume of pleasurecraft activity is considerably more intense in the North-WestMediterranean. With regards to merchant shipping and the larger fishing vesselsand pleasure craft, existing legislative requirements have providedthe framework to address the problem and have set the basis forcooperation with shoreside waste reception facilities. However,this relationship still remains problematic due to the lack of portreception facilities in Mediterranean ports. This problem is evengreater in the case of smaller fishing harbors and marinas.As garbage management practices become second nature onboard, it is necessary to harmonise vessel management practiceswith that of port reception facilities. The industry and competentauthorities should cooperate on the implementation of specific pilotprojects regarding the segregation of waste delivered ashore, sothat ships and waste collectors in ports are clear on what needs tobe segregated and how. This will facilitate the disposal of thewaste from the ship and increase the potential to recycle thewaste once on shore.Information, education, outreach and public awareness areessential components of a medium-term regional strategy toprevent and reduce marine litter from all types of vessels and

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Exchange of visits and joint

beach cleanups by children-

members of CYMEPA in Cyprus,

HELMEPA Junior in Greece and

TURMEPA in Turkey.

boats. These can contribute significantly to the efforts aiming atbringing a change in the behavior of all users. The development and implementation of such programmes canprove much more efficient if conducted by umbrella organisationssuch as chambers, associations, cooperatives, NGOs and otherindustry stakeholders that possess a clear insight on the industry’sworkings and practicalities. In the occasion of a lack of suchstakeholders, government initiative is even more crucial.Stakeholders at each level have their own role and responsibilitiesin the implementation of a regional public awareness andeducation campaign for the management of marine litter in theMediterranean. Intergovernmental organisations can provide theframework for and the vision of such a campaign providing it withthe necessary trans-national dimension. The competentdepartments of national governments in the Mediterranean can acteither individually or in cooperation with other Mediterraneangovernments and maritime stakeholders, such as associations,chambers, federations, NGOs, etc. in adapting to nationalspecificities the content of the campaign and streamlining it toreach the end users i.e. seafarers of all kinds.

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IItt iiss iinn tthhee mmaajjoorr iinntteerreesstt ooff tthhee mmaarriittiimmee ccoommmmuunniittyy ttoo aaddddrreessss tthheepprroobblleemm ooff mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr bbeeyyoonndd lleeggiissllaattiivvee rreeqquuiirreemmeennttss,, sseeeekkiinnggtthhee mmiinniimmiissaattiioonn ooff ssoolliidd wwaassttee mmaannaaggeemmeenntt oonn bbooaarrdd tthhrroouugghhtthhee aapppplliiccaattiioonn ooff BBeesstt AAvvaaiillaabbllee TTeecchhnniiqquueess.. TThhiiss wwaayy,, tthheemmaarriittiimmee aanndd sseeaaffaarriinngg ccoommmmuunniittyy mmaayy ttaakkee tthhee lleeaadd iinn tthhiiss ffiieellddccoonnssttiittuuttiinngg aa pprriimmee eexxaammppllee ttoo llaanndd--bbaasseedd iinndduussttrriieess aannddccoommmmuunniittiieess aanndd eemmpphhaassiizziinngg iittss ccoommmmiittmmeenntt ttoo tthhee pprriinncciipplleess ooffssuussttaaiinnaabbllee ddeevveellooppmmeenntt..


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Environmental Protection Engineering (2004): Port reception facilities for collecting ship-generated garbage, bilge water and oily wastes. Athens

European Commission (2007): Commission proposes tailor-made action plan for sustainable fisheries in the Mediterranean.http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/press_corner/ press_releases/ archives/com02/com02_31_en.htm

European Environment Agency (1999): State and pressures of the marine and coastal Mediterranean environment. Environmental assessment series

No. 5.

HELMEPA (1997): Final LIFE Report “Integrated Demonstration Scheme for Solid Waste Management/Recycling and Investigation for Waste onUnspoiled, Non-developed Beaches”. Athens

HELMEPA (1991): Final MEDSPA Report “Public Awareness Campaign for the Abatement of Pollution by Litter on the Greek Coasts and Seas”.Athens.

International Maritime Organization (2002): The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78), Annex V –Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships. pp. 383-396, IMO-520E (consolidated edition), London.

International Maritime Organization (1997): Guidelines for the Implementation of Annex V of MARPOL 73/78, IMO-656E, London.

Paul Topping, David Morantz and Glen Lang (1997): Waste Disposal Practices of Fishing Vessels: Canada’s East Coast, 1990-1991 from Marine Debris– Sources, Impacts and Solutions, Springer Publications.

REMPEC (2002): Protecting the Mediterranean against Maritime Accidents and Illegal Discharges from Ships.

UNEP (2005): Marine Litter, an analytical overview.

UNEP/MAP (2005): Regional Strategy for Prevention of and Response to Marine Pollution from Ships.

Useful websites

Coasts & Clean Seas Program: http://www.nht.gov.au/nht1/programs/ccs/index/html

Fishing for Litter: http://www.kimointernational.org/Fishing-for-Litter-.asp

Global Marine Litter Information Gateway: http://marine-litter.gpa.unep.org

Good Mate Program: www.oceanconservancy.org

International Maritime Organization (I.M.O.): www.imo.org

RAMOGE Agreement: www.ramoge.org

Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC): www.rempec.org

Save the North Sea Project: http://www.savethenorthsea.com

The US Coast Guard Sea Partners Campaign: www.uscg.mil/hg/g-m/nmc/seaport/htm

European Environment Agency (EEA): www.eea.europa.eu

Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA): www.helmepa.gr

HELMEPA Junior environmental education program: www.helmepajunior.gr

THE ROLE OFREGIONALNATIONAL

AND LOCALAUTHORITIES

The following reasons, linked to information, awareness andstakeholder involvement, can be identified as mostly responsiblefor the extent to which marine litter is a problem in theMediterranean today and which have not been adequatelyaddressed by the regional, national and local administrations ofthe region (see pp 10-12 for main institutional, technical,legislative and financial reasons):- Quantitative data on quantities, qualities and flows of marine

litter in the Mediterranean are lacking and inconsistent. This isa major problem which complicates setting priorities, goals (atregional and national level) and priorities for action both at thedecision-making level and in implementation.

- Polluters (from individuals to economic sectors) lack incentivesto change their behaviour. There is resistance to change,deficiencies in the provided information and a lack ofcomprehension of the dangers associated with their currentpractices.

- There is insufficient information on the environmental impacts ofmarine litter on humans and the ecosystem, which means thatthere is inadequate knowledge of the impact and challengesfor Mediterranean fauna, flora, ecosystems and the humanelement. Moreover, the mechanical and physicochemicalimpacts of marine litter are little known and more studies areneeded.

- The economic impact of marine litter is not well assessed orunderstood, which means that there is a lack of knowledge ofthe real costs of marine litter for the community, theMediterranean countries or the region as a whole.

- Awareness campaigns have been isolated and short-term andhave addressed in a non-integrated way the problem ofmarine litter in the Mediterranean.

- Educational curricula of the Mediterranean do not consistentlynor adequately cover the environmental, economic and social

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The role of regional,national and local

authorities


causes and effects of marine litter (or even solid wastemanagement).

Regional levelAt regional level the following must be promoted:- A regional approach, i.e. a framework strategy on how to

raise awareness on and educate about marine litter in theMediterranean. It should include the identification of possiblefunding sources for the implementation of the actions andactivities as well as performance indicators.

- Development and implementation of regional monitoring andassessment programs. Data on the quantity, composition anddistribution of marine litter throughout the region must becollected and assessed, using specific methodologies based onthe positive experience from other regions and adapted for theconditions of the Mediterranean. The economic costs of marinelitter to shipping, fishing and other industries should also bedocumented. Such information will be useful for: identifyingpriorities; facilitating the decision-making process; informingand raising the awareness of all those generating waste;monitoring the associated environmental impacts, etc.

- Implementation of regional cooperation programs with the civilsociety (private sector, NGOs and academia) throughdeveloping partnerships, voluntary agreements andcooperation with the major stakeholders (e.g., shippingindustry, tourism industry, fisheries, manufacturers of plastics,waste managers/services, local authorities, NGOs and themedia).

- Development of innovative regional campaigns not onlyrestricted to the cleaning and collecting of solid wastes thatpollute coastal and marine areas as has been done in themajority of the campaigns to date, but with emphasis on thesocio-economic costs and implications to the sustainabledevelopment of the region.

- Preparation and dissemination of communication material indifferent formats (reports, posters, CD-ROMs, websites, etc.)

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Good Practice““CClleeaann uupp tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann”” iiss aann iinniittiiaattiivvee llaauunncchheedd bbyy ““CClleeaannuupp tthhee WWoorrlldd”” iinn ccooooppeerraattiioonn wwiitthh UUNNEEPP ((UUnniitteedd NNaattiioonnssEEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt PPrrooggrraamm)) aanndd ssuuppppoorrttss cclleeaann uupp aaccttiivviittiieess ttooggeetthheerrwwiitthh ssttaakkeehhoollddeerrss aanndd cciivviill ssoocciieettyy iinn tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann ffoorr tthheepprrootteeccttiioonn ooff tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann SSeeaa.. ((wwwwww..ccuuww..oorrgg))

adapted to the various target stakeholders, countries, etc.- Development of common educational materials on effectively

combating the problem of marine litter in the Mediterraneanthrough promoting the protection of the environment andsustainable development. Apart from the Ministries ofEducation and the Ministries for the Environment existing moreflexible regional networks such as MMEEddIIEESS should also berecruited.

- Demonstrations through regional awareness raising campaignsand educational programmes in selected areas and withselected stakeholders, particularly NGOs.

- Promotion of research and technology that contribute to thesolution of the problems and sharing and exchanging suchinformation and technology with other regional initiativesglobally in the management of marine litter, throughconferences, seminars and regional exhibits.

- Begin action immediately by maximising the use of the limitedresources on hand by taking into consideration theopportunities for cooperation with the ongoing internationaland regional programs and building on synergies wherepossible, particularly with the private sector and regionalbodies with local action (e.g. MEDCITIES).

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MEdIES ((MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann EEdduuccaattiioonn IInniittiiaattiivvee ffoorr EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt &&SSuussttaaiinnaabbiilliittyy wwiitthh eemmpphhaassiiss oonn wwaatteerr aanndd wwaassttee)) iiss aa TTyyppee IIIIIInniittiiaattiivvee tthhaatt aaiimmss ttoo ffaacciilliittaattee tthhee eedduuccaattiioonnaall ccoommmmuunniittyy ooff tthheerreeggiioonn ((eedduuccaattoorrss,, ssttuuddeennss,, NNGGOOss,, eettcc..)) ttoo ccoonnttrriibbuuttee iinn aassyysstteemmaattiicc aanndd ccoonnccrreettee wwaayy iinn tthhee iimmpplleemmeennttaattiioonn ooff AAggeennddaa2211,, tthhee MMDDGGss aass wweellll aass tthhee UUNN DDeeccaaddee ffoorr EEdduuccaattiioonn ffoorrSSuussttaaiinnaabbllee DDeevveellooppmmeenntt ((EESSDD)) ((22000055--22001144)) tthhrroouugghh tthheessuucccceessssffuull aapppplliiccaattiioonn ooff iinnnnoovvaattiivvee eedduuccaattiioonnaall pprrooggrraammmmeess.. IIttccuurrrreennttllyy ffaacciilliittaatteess oovveerr 11,,550000 mmeemmbbeerrss.. RReeaadd mmoorree aattwwwwww..mmeeddiieess..nneett

HHoowweevveerr,, tthheessee aaccttiioonnss nneeeedd ttoo bbee ccoommpplleemmeenntteedd bbyy aa nnuummbbeerrooff ppaarraalllleell rreeggiioonnaall iinniittiiaattiivveess rreellaattiinngg ttoo tthhee propermanagement of marine litter at Mediterranean level.TThheessee iinniittiiaattiivveess ccoouulldd bbee aaddddrreesssseedd wwiitthhiinn aa rreeggiioonnaall AAccttiioonnPPllaann oorr aa FFrraammeewwoorrkk SSttrraatteeggyy cclloosseellyy lliinnkkeedd ttoo aa rreeggiioonnaall sscchheemmeeffoorr iinntteeggrraatteedd mmaannaaggeemmeenntt ooff ccooaassttaall ssoolliidd wwaassttee,, oorr tthheeyy ccoouullddbbee iinntteeggrraatteedd iinn tthhee mmaannyy aallrreeaaddyy eexxiissttiinngg aaccttiioonn ppllaannss iinn tthheeMMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann ((SSAAPPss,, NNAAPPss,, NNSSSSDDss,, IICCMM PPrroottooccooll,, HHoorriizzoonn22002200,, eettcc..)).. RReeggiioonnaall lleeggaall aanndd aaddmmiinniissttrraattiivvee iinnssttrruummeennttss mmuusstt


National and local levelSolid waste management is one of the biggest challenges forgovernments and local authorities around the world, and isparticularly the case for the densely populated, often withoutplanning, expanding cities of the Mediterranean coast.

In order to effectively enhance information, awareness, educationand stakeholder involvement in relation to marine litter, nationaland local authorities of the Mediterranean countries should workin complementarity with each other to: - Develop national strategies on how to raise awareness on and

educate about marine litter in the Mediterranean in line withthe regional strategy outlined above. Accordingly, possiblefunding sources for the implementation of national and localactions and activities as well as performance indicators needto be clearly defined.

89

bbee eennhhaanncceedd aanndd hhaarrmmoonniisseedd,, ppootteennttiiaall ffuunnddiinngg ssoouurrcceess ffoorrvvaarriioouuss ccoommppoonneennttss aanndd aaccttiivviittiieess ooff tthhee rreeggiioonnaall AAccttiioonn PPllaann oorrFFrraammeewwoorrkk SSttrraatteeggyy nneeeedd ttoo bbee iiddeennttiiffiieedd aanndd aapppprrooaacchheeddppaarrttiiccuullaarrllyy ffoorr hhiigghh ccoosstt iinniittiiaattiivveess ((ssuucchh aass ppoorrtt rreecceeppttiioonnffaacciilliittiieess,, llaannddffiillllss,, ffiisshheerriieess,, eettcc..)).. CCoommmmoonn qquuaannttiittaattiivvee aannddqquuaalliittaattiivvee iinnddiiccaattoorrss oonn mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr sshhoouulldd bbee ddeevveellooppeedd aanndduusseedd bbyy aallll tthhee ccoouunnttrriieess ooff tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann bbaassiinn aanndd sshhoouullddbbee iinncclluuddeedd iinn tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann SSttrraatteeggyy ffoorr SSuussttaaiinnaabblleeDDeevveellooppmmeenntt ((MMSSSSDD))..CCoouunnttrriieess wwhhiicchh hhaavvee nnoott ddoonnee ssoo sshhoouulldd bbee eennccoouurraaggeedd aannddaassssiisstteedd ttoo ssiiggnn,, rraattiiffyy aanndd eennffoorrccee AAnnnneexx VV ooff tthheeMMAARRPPOO7733//7788..

Barcelona Convention

EU, EMP, ENP, IMO, etc.

Central governmentRegional networks

(thematic, sectoral, etc.)

Local authorities

Civil Society

(NGOs, Chambers, etc.)

▲

▲▲

▲▲

▲

▲

- Implement national and local cooperation programs with thecivil society (private sector, NGOs and academia) throughdeveloping partnerships, voluntary agreements andcooperation with the major stakeholders (e.g., shippingindustry, tourism industry, fisheries, manufacturers of plastics,waste managers/services, local authorities, municipalities andcommunities, NGOs and the media).

- Promote and spread codes of responsible conduct of the usersof the marine environment.

- Participate in the regional monitoring and assessment programs onmarine litter. Data on the quantity, composition and distribution ofmarine litter countrywide must be collected and assessed based onthe regionally specified consistent methodologies.

- Develop innovative campaigns not only restricted to thecleaning and collecting of solid wastes that pollute coastal andmarine areas as has been done in the majority of thecampaigns to date.

- Prepare and disseminate communication material in differentformats (posters, CD-ROMs, websites, etc.) preferably basedon similar materials produced for the region as a whole and inany case making appropriate reference to the ongoingregional framework of the effort.

- Adapt and integrate the regional educational materials oneffectively combating the problem of marine litter in theMediterranean through promoting the protection of theenvironment and sustainable development.

- Support non-formal education initiatives targeting youth,professionals, clubs, associations, other groups.

- Train administrative and operational staff within relatedministries and municipal services and establish the necessaryinter-ministerial and inter-departmental links and long-termnetworking for effective information exchange.

- Provide incentives for marine litter recovery by the variouseconomic sectors (fisheries, tourism, maritime, etc.).

90

NNaattiioonnaall oorr rreeggiioonnaall aauutthhoorriittiieess rreessppoonnssiibbllee ffoorr ppuubblliicc iinnllaannddwwaatteerrss ((rriivveerrss,, wwaaddiiss,, eettcc..)) sshhoouulldd iimmpplleemmeenntt ppllaannss aanndd aaccttiioonnssttoo:: ssttoopp tthhee lliitttteerriinngg ooff ppuubblliicc wwaatteerr ccoouurrsseess;; cclleeaann ppuubblliicc wwaatteerrccoouurrsseess eeaacchh yyeeaarr bbeeffoorree tthhee ffiirrsstt sseeaassoonnaall rraaiinnss ssoo aass ttoo aavvooiiddtthhee ttrraannssffeerr ooff lliitttteerr ttoo tthhee sseeaa aanndd ffaacciilliittaattee rraaiinn ffllooww.. TThhiiss wwoouullddaallssoo mmiinniimmiissee fflloooodd ooccccuurrrreennccee aanndd ddaammaaggeess dduuee ttoo ccoolllleecctteeddlliitttteerr bblloocckkiinngg wwaatteerrwwaayyss..LLooccaall aauutthhoorriittiieess sshhoouulldd ccoommpprreehheennssiivveellyy ddeessiiggnn aanndd iimmpplleemmeennttmmeecchhaanniissmmss,, rreegguullaattiioonnss ((llooccaall)) aanndd aalltteerrnnaattiivveess ttoo ssttoopp lliitttteerriinnggoonn ““tthheeiirr”” sseeaa sshhoorree..


- Promote scientific research, technological applications, etc.relating to the sources, impacts and solutions of the problem ofmarine litter.

- Run demonstration awareness raising campaigns andeducational programmes in selected areas and with selectedstakeholders, particularly NGOs and the private sector.

- Practice the basic waste management principles inadministration buildings and sites (e.g. provide the properinfrastructure and mechanisms to reduce, reuse, recycle waste)and advertise it!

91

TThhee aabboovvee sshhoouulldd bbee iinntteeggrraatteedd wwiitthhiinn tthhee ddeevveellooppmmeenntt ooffnnaattiioonnaall aanndd llooccaall ssttrraatteeggiieess ffoorr tthhee iinntteeggrraatteedd mmaannaaggeemmeenntt ooffssoolliidd wwaassttee,, iinncclluuddiinngg wwhhaatt eevveennttuuaallllyy bbeeccoommeess mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr,,aaccccoorrddiinngg ttoo tthhee rreeggiioonnaall ((MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann--wwiiddee)) gguuiiddeelliinneess((AAccttiioonn PPllaann oorr FFrraammeewwoorrkk SSttrraatteeggyy)) ffoorr tthhee pprrooppeerr mmaannaaggeemmeennttooff ccooaassttaall aanndd mmaarriinnee lliitttteerr.. PPrreerreeqquuiissiittee ffoorr tthhiiss wwoouulldd bbee tthheerreevviieeww aanndd eennhhaanncceemmeenntt ooff rreellaatteedd nnaattiioonnaall lleeggaall,, tteecchhnniiccaall aannddffiinnaanncciiaall iinnssttrruummeennttss;; tthhee ddeevveellooppmmeenntt ooff ssttrraatteeggiieess aannddaapppprrooaacchheess ffoorr bbeetttteerr iimmpplleemmeennttaattiioonn aanndd eennffoorrcceemmeenntt ooffMMAARRPPOOLL AAnnnneexx VV aanndd ffoorr ffuunnddiinngg hhiigghh ccoosstt iinniittiiaattiivveess ((ssuucchh aassppoorrtt rreecceeppttiioonn ffaacciilliittiieess,, llaannddffiillllss,, ffiisshheerriieess,, eettcc..));; tthhee aallllooccaattiioonn oofflleeggaall rreessppoonnssiibbiilliittiieess aanndd ffiinnaanncciiaall rreessoouurrcceess ttoo llooccaall aauutthhoorriittiieessffoorr rreegguullaarr aanndd mmaannddaattoorryy bbeeaacchh aanndd rriivveerr cclleeaann--uupp ooppeerraattiioonnss,,eettcc..

THE ROLE OFCIVIL SOCIETY

Civil society and particularly Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs) are nowadays recognised as legitimate partners essentialin achieving sustainable development by contributing analysis,expertise and commitment from the inception and policy dialoguephase to the implementation phase at different operational oradministrative levels (regionally, nationally and locally).Specifically in the framework of the proposed medium-termawareness and education campaign on marine litter in theMediterranean, NGO involvement at regional, national and locallevel is expected to contribute to:- higher awareness level of the processes and results of the

campaign,- higher acceptance and ownership of the processes and their

products- strengthened stakeholder participation and partnership building- increased quality of the outputs - increased possibilities of the replication of activities and their

results

Some indicative types of actions that NGOs could undertake are:- Joint development of “responsible citizenship” guidelines for

different sectors (tourists, municipal authorities and localcommunities, shipping companies, ship and smaller vesselscrews; commercial and recreation fishing vessels), and targetaudiences (children, youth, and other identified target groupse.g. women).

- Public awareness campaigns through the preparation andproduction of thematic publications, brochures, leaflets, etc.

- Networking at regional, national and local levels specificallyon marine litter. Important such networks already exist.

- Provide the public with simplified translations of difficult to

94

The role of civil society

TThhee rreeggiioonnaall ccoommppoonneenntt aanndd ccoooorrddiinnaattiioonn ooff tthhee ccaammppaaiiggnn iissnneecceessssaarryy iinn oorrddeerr ttoo sseeccuurree aa mmiinniimmuumm ooff ssttaannddaarrddss aannddpprreerreeqquuiissiitteess aanndd ttoo iinnttrroodduuccee aa sseett ooff aapppprroopprriiaattee iinnddiiccaattoorrss ffoorrppeerrffoorrmmaannccee aatt rreeggiioonnaall aanndd aatt nnaattiioonnaall lleevveell..


understand policy and legal documents, terminology, etc. - Inform the public about the progress of implementation of the

regional and national strategies on marine litter and integratedsolid waste management; role, responsibilities and tasks ofauthorities and economic sectors, etc. Also exert targetedpressure for better performance.

- Effectively engage the media in adequately addressing theproblem of marine litter.

- Development and implementation of campaigns anddemonstration actions such as beach clean-ups, recyclingprogrammes, etc.

- Develop and/or implement formal, non-formal and informaleducation programmes in coherence with the regionalinitiatives.

- Participate in management bodies of regional, national andlocal strategies on marine litter and integrated solid wastemanagement and effectively contribute in the outreach of theoutcomes.

- Develop scheduled volunteer collaboration groups to reinforceactivities implementation.

- Facilitating multi-stakeholder activities and events (round tablediscussions, engaging the public and private sector, etc.). Insome cases an NGO can function as broker/mediator/facilitator among different stakeholders and governmentagencies

- Conducting/participating in monitoring and evaluationprocesses (independently or otherwise). Data on the quantity,composition and distribution of marine litter countrywide couldbe collected by NGOs and assessed based on the regionallyspecified consistent methodologies.

- Participate in processes defining selection criteria,programming, indicators, etc. of demonstration sites/projects,etc.

- Testing the feasibility and efficiency of innovative technologiesand their applications.

- Contributing to the introduction, pilot use and evaluation ofinnovative financial instruments.

- Demonstrate practical ways of overcoming obstacles andbarriers in adopting best practices.

- Participate in technical capacity building programmes relatingto marine litter.

- Run, improve and broaden networks and coalitions.- Formulating and conducting surveys, questionnaires, interviews,

etc.- Disseminating results through their networks and channels.When designing a regional awareness campaign with national

95

application, the level of maturity of civil society and NGOsspecifically, needs to be considered. There is a wide variety on acountry by country basis in the Mediterranean. Some issues thatare raised are:- Are there specialized NGOs (on waste, clean-ups, campaigns,

education, etc.)?- To what degree do they follow regional and international

processes on marine litter?- Are there associations and cooperatives of economic sectors?

How are these structured in the country and what is the levelof organisation?

- Is there existing previous experience? Do awareness andeducation efforts have to start from the beginning or from amore advanced stage?

Strong coordination of the awareness and education campaign onMarine litter at regional level is the only way to support theweaknesses, gaps and inadequacies of organized civil society inimplementing actions at national level.

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Clean up the MED Sea ActionCClleeaann UUpp tthhee MMeedd iiss oorrggaanniizzeedd oonn aann aannnnuuaall bbaassiiss bbyyLLEEGGAAMMBBIIEENNTTEE,, tthhee mmoosstt wwiiddeesspprreeaadd eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall NNGGOO iinnIIttaallyy,, aanndd bbrriinnggss ttooggeetthheerr oorrggaanniizzaattiioonnss,, sscchhoooollss,, uunniivveerrssiittiieess,,mmuunniicciippaalliittiieess,, hhootteellss,, eettcc.. iinn aa ccoommmmoonn aaccttiioonn ooff cclleeaanniinngg uuppbbeeaacchheess aanndd ccooaassttlliinneess iinn aallll ooff tthhee MMeeddiitteerrrraanneeaann ccoouunnttrriieess..wwwwww..lleeggaammbbiieennttee..ccoomm

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