Zero Waste Europe is one of 9 organisations involved in the Interreg Europe project ‘Capitalising good coastal practices and improving policies to prevent marine litter,’ also referred to as CAPonLITTER. The project aims to improve policies and practices that can help in preventing marine litter that results from coastal tourism and recreational activities. More specifically, the project will focus on key fractions of waste, such as plastic food and drink containers originating from beach facilities and recreational events, due to improper behaviour of consumers but also to lack of incentives and structures for prevention, collection and recycling of waste. The project began in late 2019 and will continue until early 2022.

The project involves authorities and organisations from Portugal, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria and Germany, territories in which coastal tourism is a key economic activity, which is not only highly impacted by marine litter but can also put significant pressure on local infrastructures and generate large amounts of unmanaged waste. Together, all partners will build a database of best practice policies to prevent marine litter implemented by local stakeholders in coastal locations. Furthermore, Zero Waste Europe is helping each project partner to successfully influence and change their respective region’s plans and legislation on waste, instigating change that will help turn off the tap of the continued flow of litter into our environment and oceans.

Zero Waste Europe and our members will regularly engage in the CapOnLITTER project, given our expertise in designing and implementing effective waste prevention policies in municipalities across several European coastal regions. We will be sharing our experience in supporting policies and solutions that prevent waste, such as our guidance for local authorities to help implement the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive or by highlighting how reusable packaging can continue to be used safely during the Covid-19 pandemic.