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Reducing Plastic Pollution by Recovery and Recycling: Evidence from a “Blue Economy” Project Impacting Policy-Making in Italy
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This paper presents the Seabed Cleaning Project—a fishermen-led coastal debris recovery initiative in Italy—as a Blue Economy tool achieving measurable reductions in seafloor plastic through collaboration between fishers, municipalities, and local communities. The project's practices were scaled nationally through the 'Salva Mare' Law approved by the Italian Senate in 2022, demonstrating how local grassroots action can translate into binding national policy.
This paper recognizes the relevance of the Seabed Cleaning Project, created by the Angelo Vassallo Sindaco Pescatore Foundation in 2010, and presents it as a tool to achieve benefits in environmental, social, and economic terms, in line with the innovative framework of the Blue Economy. The project suggests a practical, feasible, and scalable solution to plastic pollution that can be obtained thanks to the activity performed by fishermen in cooperation with the municipality and local community (in a multi-level cooperation perspective). The data show a significant reduction of plastic on the seafloor thanks to the project, but further research is needed in order to collect further positive outcomes from different applications of the project. In 2022, the "Salva Mare" Law was approved in the Senate, extending the good practices proposed by the Foundation nationwide and showing how small gestures and concrete actions can provide significant improvements in pursuit of a healthier, safer, greener, and smarter city for the future.
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Marine plastic entrepreneurship; Exploring drivers, barriers and value creation in the blue economy
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This study examined business models of 96 startups tackling marine plastic pollution, identifying four categories ranging from consumer solutions to value-chain development, and conducted interviews to understand drivers and barriers. Key findings indicate that financing availability, supportive culture, and government responsiveness strongly influence blue entrepreneurship, while competition from less sustainable businesses poses significant challenges.
Plastic pollution on the Tuscan coast: environmental measures municipalities can put in place to reduce it
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This study monitored beach litter on three Tuscan municipalities along the Tyrrhenian Sea, documenting plastic pollution levels and evaluating municipal environmental measures. The findings highlight that while national and international policy is critical, local municipalities can significantly reduce single-use plastic pollution through integrated strategies, with targeted identification of additional measures needed at the local level.
When stakeholders mesh: Management and circularity of end-of-life fishing gear from a network of artisanal fishers
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Old fishing nets and ropes that get abandoned in the ocean don't just disappear—they break down into microplastics that can end up in seafood and, eventually, our bodies. This study shows that a Brazilian program getting local fishers directly involved in collecting and recycling worn-out gear successfully kept nearly 3,000 kg of plastic waste out of the ocean over two years, proving that community-based recycling efforts can make a real dent in marine plastic pollution when paired with supportive policies. The takeaway: cleaner oceans start with practical, people-powered solutions, not just high-tech fixes.
Microplastics in the ocean: under the blue economy perspective
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This study examines plastic and microplastic pollution in the ocean from a blue economy perspective, analyzing both the ecological impacts and the socioeconomic costs of marine plastic contamination. The paper argues for a holistic approach to managing marine plastic pollution that integrates scientific, economic, and policy dimensions.
A multi-criteria assessment of policies to achieve the objectives of the EU marine litter strategy.
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This study used a multi-criteria assessment to evaluate policy options for meeting EU marine litter reduction targets. Researchers and stakeholders scored different policy measures on effectiveness, feasibility, and social acceptance. Extended producer responsibility, improved waste management infrastructure, and targeted bans on single-use plastics emerged as the most promising policy levers.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.