Interreg: Circular Ocean-bound Plastic

The Circular Ocean-bound Plastic (COP) project is dedicated to addressing the urgent issue of plastic pollution in the South Baltic Sea. In collaboration with partners from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Poland, the project will aim to identify challenges and opportunities for collecting, recycling, and reusing ocean-bound plastic waste in the region. With support from Interreg South Baltic, the project runs until September 2026, with a total budget of more than 2.5 million euros.

Learn more about the COP project by visiting www.circularoceanplastic.eu

Problem

Ocean plastic is a major threat to marine life and biodiversity in the South Baltic Sea, with approx. 80% originating from land-based sources as a result of human activities. The COP project highlights the urgent need for awareness and motivation to reduce the amount of plastic waste going into the sea. Part of the problem is the difficulty to collect and recycle plastic from the water partially due to the rapid degradation. This makes recycling efforts more difficult, stressing the need to map out the challenges and potential solutions.

Project description

The project aims to encourage effective waste collection, reuse, and recycling practices. The ultimate goal is to promote awareness and encourage innovative solutions among local businesses for improved plastic waste management in the South Baltic Sea. To address this, the project will collaborate with local authorities, educational and research institutions, and blue and green SMEs to explore the potential of utilizing challenging plastic fractions and ocean-bound waste.

The project will conduct pilot activities in several coastal cities in the South Baltic Sea region to test waste collection technologies and examine the potentials of ocean-bound plastic. An important aspect is to engage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the region in the project’s activities. The project will also investigate recycling properties and treatment options for the collected ocean-bound plastic waste.

Funding

The project is funded by Interreg South Baltic with funds from the European Regional Development Fund, aiming to unlock the potentials of the South Baltic’s blue and green growth through cross-border cooperation between local and regional actors from Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden. Read more about Interreg South Baltic.

Our members and sponsors

Ocean Plastic Forum is a association of 40 members, consisting of interest groups, NGO´s, universities and a number of companies, who all share the same concern about plastic pollution in our oceans. Our member are our biggest asset in bringing our vision of clean oceans to life.