How circular economy strategies tackle marine litter

The tourism industry is vital to the economic prosperity of the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and South India, but it also bears significant responsibility as a major source of marine litter. The "Prevention of Marine Litter in the Lakshadweep Sea" (PROMISE) project was launched to protect the still intact ecosystems of the Lakshadweep Sea. PROMISE aims to reduce marine pollution along the coasts of India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.

PROMISE is implementing a variety of measures to achieve this goal:

• Mapping and analysing the causes and impacts of marine litter along the coasts of Lakshadweep.
• Supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in tourism clusters in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India to implement waste minimisation strategies and improve access to finance for these measures.
• Strengthening the policy framework for waste management in coastal areas, contributing to the reduction of waste volumes and pollution in all three target regions.
• Developing and launching the "Lakshadweep Zero-Waste Alliance" to promote a zero-waste initiative.
• Raising awareness among a broad network of stakeholders about waste prevention measures.

Together with its partners, adelphi research is actively involved in the PROMISE project to reduce waste in the tourism sector. The focus is on recycling single-use plastics and properly disposing of unavoidable plastic waste.

The PROMAR project implements circular economy pilot solutions to measurably reduce the input of plastic waste into the aquatic environment. The aim is to mitigate waste streams in the Caribbean while championing circular economy solutions. The project also raises awareness of the importance of marine litter prevention and contributes to the preservation of the region’s valuable ecosystems. Activities will be carried out simultaneously in all participating countries, with additional efforts focused on replicating successful strategies and engaging in policy dialogue in other Latin American and Caribbean nations.

In collaboration with project partners CEGESTI, Socya, Parley for the Oceans, and UNEP-CCS adelphi research takes on the role of overseeing overall project management. The project's activities in participating countries are structured around four work packages:

• Monitoring waste generation and analysing material flows.
• Implementing pilot measures to introduce circular economy models and developing a comprehensive toolbox (PROMAR BlueBox) for deploying best practice methods.
• Supporting transnational political dialogue and facilitating the introduction of extended producer responsibility systems in project countries.
• Raising awareness in society and conducting educational outreach through various events and disseminating project outcomes.

The results of the material flow analyses depict the status quo of marine litter along the coastlines of the Caribbean Sea. PROMAR improves access to methods, systems, and procedures for the implementation of plastic waste prevention and reduction measures in the target regions and industries through capacity building and awareness-raising initiatives.

The BMUV-funded project "Contribution of a Sustainable Waste Management Systems in the Tourism Sector to the Protection of Marine Ecosystems", or TouMaLi for short, aims to mitigate tourism-related marine pollution in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia while advocating for circular economy solutions. The project strives to minimise, recycle, and reuse tourism-generated waste to sustainably reduce marine and beach pollution. At the same time, it seeks to enhance awareness and capacity-building among local stakeholders, including hotels and communities.

The TouMaLi project is implementing the following measures:

• Conducting an inventory of marine pollution stemming from tourism waste through beach litter monitorings.
• Developing a comprehensive strategy for waste management.
• Undertaking sensitisation and capacity-building efforts through training and knowledge transfer.
• Establishing an institutional platform for managing financial and material flows (Extended Producer Responsibility)
• Hosting national and regional workshops to foster discussions on potential solutions.
• Disseminating project results and activities to enhance awareness and capacity-building efforts.

In collaboration with the University of Rostock, the leading project partner, and eight other organisations, adelphi research is actively contributing to the development of a comprehensive strategy for waste management and waste reduction.