Call for tenders for a pilot project on plastic recycling cycle and marine environmental impact
The European Commission has published a call for tenders for a pilot project on plastic recycling cycle and marine environmental impact - case studies on the plastic cycle and its loopholes in the four European regional sea areas. Marine litter is a growing concern which poses an increasingly serious threat to the environment. This type of litter consists of items that have been deliberately discarded, unintentionally lost, or transported by winds and rivers into the sea and onto beaches. Land-based sources account for up to four-fifths of marine litter and result from tourism, sewage and illegal or poorly managed landfills. The main sea-based sources are shipping and fishing. This part of the pilot project focuses on the identification of loopholes in the plastic cycle in areas in the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Baltic and North Sea near port cities, preferably at points where rivers discharge into the sea. The result of the case studies will be a report with a description of the four study areas, the monitoring results of marine litter in each area, an analysis of the sources of the plastics found and proposals for measures to address the causes of the marine litter problem.To see the official call announcement, please consult: OJ No S 119 of 23 June 2011(opens in new window)