Tremiti Plastic Free Islands

Link Medpan Web site: http://medpan.org

Il progetto “Tremiti plastic free islands” ha come obiettivo generale il miglioramento della gestione dei rifiuti sulle isole e la loro riduzione, favorendo l’utilizzo di strumenti innovativi per una migliore gestione dei rifiuti.

Il progetto prevede attività concrete da realizzare con il fondamentale contributo degli isolani e prevede sostanzialmente due linee di attività da realizzare nel 2019-2020

A) Settore ittico

Al fine di trovare soluzioni alternative all’utilizzo della plastica usa e getta (es. cassette in polistirolo espanso per il trasporto dei prodotti ittici) verrà incentivato l’impiego di un innovativo imballo per il trasporto del prodotto ittico sulle isole (con caratteristiche identiche al polistirolo EPS) biodegrabile e compostabile (Biofoam).

Il progetto prevede il coinvolgimento dei principali fornitori di prodotto ittico (proveniente dai porti dell’Adriatico) durante i mesi estivi, a cui fornire 500 cassette in Biofoam (materiale innovativo biodegradabile e compostabile dotato di tutte le certificazioni necessarie per l’utilizzo nel settore alimentare) che verranno utilizzate per far giungere il prodotto ittico sull’isola. Sono tre i grandi distributori coinvolti nel progetto: Quartiglia Spa, Geldi Spa; MARR Adriatico, che utilizzeranno il nuovo packaging biodegradabile e che si impegneranno nella valutazione di una possibile riduzione del packaging in plastica con materiali più ecosostenibili.

Una volta utilizzate, le cassette in Biofoam potranno essere conferite nel normale circuito di smaltimento dell’umido ed avviate al compostaggio industriale, dando evidenza di come è sviluppabile anche nel settore ittico l’economia circolare.

B) Compostaggio Domestico

Al fine di migliorare la gestione dei rifiuti sull’isola si implementeranno due attività legate al compostaggio domestico.

B1) Una attività è collegata al recupero di rifiuti marini (boe utilizzate nei campi di mitilicoltura) che attraverso l’organizzazione di semplici laboratori aperti a tutta la cittadinanza (in collaborazione con Diving MarlinTremiti) in cui trasformare con una semplice procedura e costi irrisori le boe dismesse/abbandonate in efficaci compostatori domestici, che potranno essere utilizzati gratuitamente dalla cittadinanza che ne farà richiesta (si prevede la realizzazione di 20 compostatori e la creazione di un semplice manuale (che descrive come crearli e come utilizzarli).

B2) Una seconda attività riguarda la fornitura gratuita di un innovativo compostatore (Hotbin) capace di compostare tutti i rifiuti domestici/frazione organica (senza utilizzo di energia elettrica) durante tutto l’anno ed in grado di biodegradare anche le bioplastiche. L’attività ha l’obiettivo di valutare tramite questi dispositivi di poter biodegradare e compostare direttamente sull’isola le bioplastiche (piatti bicchieri ed anche le stesse cassette in biofoam), minimizzando il quantitativo della frazione organica da conferire in discarica.

Le attività di progetto prevedono anche l’organizzazione di due convegni pubblici per sviluppare temi quali: l’inquinamento marino, l’impatto delle plastiche negli oceani e dare evidenza delle possibili attività implementabili per ridurre l’impatto umano sugli ecosistemi marini.

GENERAL PURPOSE

The general purpose of the project is to improve the MPAs’ contribution to their territory by supporting the improvement of the waste management on the islands and the recycling process of marine litter, through effective and consistent activities put in place with the fundamental contribution and commitment of the islanders. The activities aim to prevent and reduce the origin of the waste; developing the use of domestic composters, and the experimentation of new biobased material in the fishing sector. The size of the local economy often cannot sustain consistently the waste management policies, this project wants to put the basis for the adoption of a correct waste management starting from the actions that the inhabitants can carry out in autonomous manner, stimulating the municipality to plan and realise a complete real waste management strategy.

MEDPAN

This project is funded by the French Facility for Global Environment and Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The project was selected in the framework of the MedPAN 2018 Regular Call for Small Projects (link to MedPAN small project web page). It started in July 2019 and should be completed by March 2020.MedPAN is an organisation created at the request of some Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas managers in 2008 with the mission to coordinate the MedPAN network; a network of Marine Protected Areas managers that exists since the 90s. MedPAN aims to promote the establishment, the operation and the sustainability of a Mediterranean network of MPAs. MedPAN works with its members and partners as well as with governmental and non governmental organizations on a local, national, regional and international level to develop its activities.

Link Medpan Web site: http://medpan.org

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the project are to:

raise awareness of both the public and institutions concerning the sources and consequences of pollution, in particular related to plastics (2 public events will be realised);

support the implementation of regulations concerning waste disposal, in order to organise a correct waste management;

improve the knowledge in using and managing the waste generated by biobased material, involving the waste management company (creating a correct workflow for managing this kind of biobased material);

develop the capacity of the islanders to manage a correct waste collection improving the separation of the materials;

put in action concrete initiatives to prevent and reduce the waste through:

the self-construction of domestic composters for reducing the organic waste (composters realised with the use of abandoned aquaculture buoys);

the use of an innovative domestic composter able to process bioplastic material (materB, PLA);

reduce the plastic waste created by the fishing sector through the demonstrative use of biobased material (500 fishing boxes made in PLA polilactic acid) in substitution of the Polystyrene boxes; the PLA has the relevant characteristic of being compostable after use.

Activities

Innovative material in the fishing sector (Use of biodegradable and compostable packaging in the fishing sector).

The small scale fishery fleet of the Tremiti island during the summer period doesn’t have the capacity to fulfill the demand of huge quantities of fish products and the local buyers (restaurants, hotels) purchase the fish from the main fishing harbors in the Adriatic (es. Termoli, San Benedetto del Tronto etc.) that deliver the products on the islands, using the common fishing boxes in polystyrene. The polystyrene could be recycled but in the fishing sector the process is complex and need huge quantities, usually the polystyrene boxes follow the urban waste management system.

In collaboration with the Municipality and the local economic entities in the islands, the main fishing product providers will be identified (mainly fishing wholesalers) and will be requested to deliver the fish products on the islands using only biodegradable and compostable fishing boxes provided by the Blu Marine Service. In this way less plastic will reach the islands and part of the biobased fishing boxes could be processed using the innovative composter and the rest will join the organic waste management system directed towards industrial composting plant inland. It must be underlined that the polystyrene fishing boxes are single use packaging and the material if abandoned on the environment will remain unchanged for decades, with high risk of crumbling in small pieces that could pollute huge areas with dangerous effect on the marine ecosystems.

This activity will support the local plastic free strategy involving the fishing sector as well, giving an example of how is possible to have a circular economy using biobased material.

Composters from marine litter

During the project, training activities with the stakeholders involved on the use of domestic composter and the use of handmade domestic composter will be organized. Twenty domestic composters will be realized, using the abandoned buoys of large aquaculture plants, close to the MPA borders; the buoys will be recovered from the islands’ coast and the composters will be used by the inhabitants. The simple procedure for making these composters will be illustrated in a specific user’s manual. The buoys will also be obtained trough clean beach campaign, or recovered by the local fishermen from the sea.

In order to promote and encourage the participation of local stakeholders and develop confidence with the practice of home composting it will be organized a laboratory open to the public where it will be done training and where it will be realized the buoys/composters, with the help of the islanders. During this activity will be realized and distributed manuals on the advantages of home composting.

In particular, 2 residents of the island will be trained to activate a service of “promoters of domestic composting”, a service that will allow users of the initiative to closely monitor, even through home assistance, to verify the correct operation of the practice (at the same time exercising the functions of supervision and control of the operations) and of identifying the zones and the interested people where this practice could be extended. The activities will be carried out in collaboration with the local Pro Loco Tremiti Association, active in providing services for tourism and environmental education.

Innovative composter for bioplastic

An innovative domestic composter (HOTBIN) that does not require the use of electricity will be given to the Municipality. HOTBIN works naturally thanks to the perfect insulation from the external environment, that allows to have active microorganisms also in winter at fermentation temperatures that reach 60°C, ideal for turning organic waste in organic soil and therefore organic fertilizer rapidly, rich in micro-organisms, free of synthetic chemical compounds. This innovative device can process a certain percentage of bioplastic (PLA, materB etc) and will be used for transforming part of the bioplastic material (es. plates, glasses and even biodegradable fishing boxes) in good quality compost.

Home composting of home compostable bioplastics will reduce the volumes of mixed plastics to be handled. It can provide the Municipality a test for verifying the potential cost savings in terms of waste collection and disposal and thus also provide residents with potential cost savings in terms of reduced waste fees. Home composting satisfies the proximity principle. It reduces the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill.

link MPA Tremiti Islands