Antiparos is a small island found in Cyclades region that despite the small number of habitats receives a high number of visitors during the summer months. In this context, Aegean Rebreath (AR) & the municipal authorities developed a partnership in 2018 with the aim of introducing holistic interventions to address the challenge of marine and coastal pollution. Within a really short period, the example of Antiparos island became a best practice that paved the way for developing a national model.
Regional
Greece
Municipality of Antiparos
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
2022-10-31
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Aegean Rebreath Type of organisation: Social Enterprise First name of representative: George Last name of representative: Sarelakos Gender: Male Nationality: Greece If relevant, please select your other nationality: Greece Function: President Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: 10, Eleftheroton str. Town: Athens Postal code: 17237 Country: Greece Direct Tel:+30 6943 210083 E-mail:info@aegeanrebreath.org Website:http://www.aegeanrebreath.org
In 2018, AR signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Municipality of Antiparos with the aim of developing a holistic project that could reshape the local environment! To reach such an objective AR established in Antiparos island the first marine litter collection station in the country. The operation of the station presupposed the smooth collaboration of the Aegean Rebreath team, the municipal employees, the fishing community and the local citizens.
The project was ambitious taking into consideration that the waste management system in Antiparos was poor while the recycling system was unsubstantial. The AR team had to train the municipal employees and actively engage the fishermen to properly recycle plastic, aluminum, glass and fishing gear in 4 stream bins.
Further educational and research activities, underwater and coastal cleanups took place to showcase and trigger a discussion on the impact of marine pollution. Six months later, the operation of the marine litter station was proven successful, while locals and municipal authorities were motivated to expand recycling practices in the island. As a result, within a short period of time Antiparos island was ranked fourth in recycling among all Aegean islands..
In 2022 AR was invited to develop a concept for further promoting recycling and upcycling in the coastal environment of the island. By involving the local community and industry, AR received bottle caps collected by the local community and produced recycling bins that were placed in beaches of Antiparos and seaside catering businesses.
The project had already achieved its initial objectives. Not only was the local community now ready to safeguard and invest in a healthy marine environment, but also the Antiparos island project resulted in developing a national model.
Marine environment conservation
Environmental democracy
Intergenerational justice
Community engagement
Circular economy
The key objective of the ambitious project was to ensure sustainability, taking into consideration the fact that the Municipality of Antiparos didn’t have a recycling system in place, while there were no funds earmarked to encourage the local population actively participating. In this context, Aegean Rebreath had to ensure that the recyclable materials collected through the marine litter station would be delivered to recycling facilities in the neighboring island of Paros. Furthermore, given the quite limited available funds the organization had to come up with initiatives that would result in raising awareness among the local population. After reaching an agreement with Paros authorities to receive the collected materials, cleanup initiatives, events and seminars for training the school and the fishing community were organized. Furthermore, the organization shared with the local community the first tangible results (in terms of materials collected) in order to showcase the outcomes of the active engagement of citizens. Additional effort was given in the training of the municipal employees to ensure the proper allocation of recyclable materials in the bins provided. The annual data concerning the quantities collected were presented as an achievement by the municipal authorities.
The successful operation of the first marine litter station drew the attention of neighboring islands that expressed interest in establishing similar facilities. A year after, six islands had developed the same concept, turning a local practice into a regional one. In 2021, our organization established in 18 municipalities marine litter stations that acquired the patronage of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The concept gave birth to the establishment of the Blue Municipalities network that Antiparos island joined from the very first moment. By following these steps AR ensured the sustainability of the project in Antiparos while turning a local practice into a national model.
Following numerous international studies marine pollution poses a serious threat to human health and well-being. Marine pollution also undermines social cohesion and economy, generating significant costs that local and national economies usually fail to identify.
Aegean Rebreath selected Antiparos island as a case study, due to its islanding nature and its small size, for the design, development and implementation of a holistic circular economy model based on the principles of intergenerational justice, environmental democracy and civic responsibility.
By introducing environmental democracy and stirring the local community and municipal authorities, it became clear that our seas belong to everyone and we all have an active role to play in ensuring the preservation of our seas for present and future generations. Through this procedure locals got the feeling that they participated in the community and influenced the decisions affecting their daily life. That explains the fact that the project motivated the local society to expand recycling processes in the island.
Furthermore, by informing and engaging the local community to participate in cleanup activities that led to the de-pollution of the island, the project contributed to ensuring better health for citizens. Such a conclusion derives from the fact that plastics found in the sea break up in microplastics that end up in the human food chain.
The project provided information, tangible results and strengthened capacities with the aim of preparing the local community to manage and protect their natural resources. Therefore, it can be considered as a good practice for other islands that face similar challenges.
One of the main objectives of the project was the promotion of environmental democracy at local level. From the very first moment the organization focused on identifying local “champions” and engaging the municipal authorities, representatives from the fishing community and the civil society, and local businesses.
In this context, after signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with the municipal authorities, representatives from the abovementioned groups attended a meeting that was organized by Aegean Rebreath. Following the consultation outcomes a working group was formed to monitor and participate at all implementation steps.
As a result, the representatives from the fishing community, the civil society and the local businesses developed cooperation with the municipal authorities and provided input in the establishment and management of the marine litter station as well as the implementation of the activities. Therefore, the project drew the attention of the key actors that could monitor the progress on a daily basis.
The successful implementation of the project and the expansion of activities at local and regional level prove the contribution and the active engagement of the local society. It was also a key component to share the concept to other neighbouring islands that adopted similar activities at a later stage.
A healthy marine environment ensures benefits for the society and economy. Antiparos is a small island that attracts a high number of visitors between April and October due to its beautiful coastline. During these months and for many years the island faced multiple challenges concerning waste management and recycling that generated difficulties for the local community. At the same time locals weren’t really informed on the impact and the threats of lacking a proper waste management system.
From the very beginning the project aimed at informing people on the impact of marine pollution and the benefits deriving from the implementation of innovative and sustainable practices for marine conservation. By ensuring access to information, local citizens were now able to evaluate local policies, participate in the decision-making process and access justice in environmental matters. Furthermore, Aegean Rebreath involved the local community in the design of the project and incorporated the proposals of locals in order to ensure citizen engagement during the implementation process.
As a result, locals not only embraced project activities but also requested to take an active role in the expansion of similar practices. By changing local approach citizens could now enjoy a healthier environment and ensure environmental, social and economic benefits for their island.
Τhe project was designed by integrating, on one hand the relevant European directives regarding the marine ecosystem, the available data, practices and methodological tools developed in other countries, and on the other hand the findings derived from the needs assessment and the consultation procedures with the local authorities and the local community. At the same time, the identification of key actors and their update at each stage of the project's implementation were considered as key elements.
By continuous and ongoing communication and training of the municipal employees, the fishing community and the student community, the successful operation of the marine litter collection station became evident and the value of recycling and circular economy was highlighted, further motivating the Municipality to expand such practices in the island. At the same time, local citizens, the Municipality and professionals (e.g. diving agencies, tourist boats etc.) participated in a voluntary basis to the underwater and coastal clean-ups. The volunteers were actively involved in collecting, sorting and recording the marine litter into distinct categories according to EU standards, a process that gives an invaluable, first-hand knowledge as one can clearly realize the effects of our daily consumption and disposal habits.
Another milestone occurred in the summer of 2022 when 400kg of bottle caps that had been collected during the previous years by the local community, were recycled to produce new recycling bins placed on the island's beaches as awareness hubs for tourists and visitors. Seaside restaurants and visitors were motivated to ensure proper allocation of waste in the new bins.
The project focused on the implementation of holistic interventions aiming at the enhancement of environmental democracy, active citizenship, innovation, circular economy and blue economy.
According to Aegean Rebreath strategy the project initiation stage included activities to introduce environmental democracy with the aim of boosting active citizenship. Once that was achieved, the local society was ready to support the implementation of an innovative project focusing on the circular economy. The last step of the project built on the achievements made during the previous project phases and demonstrated the added value of incorporating the blue economy in local policies. The citizens and the local authorities were now able to conclude the benefits deriving from proper waste management and the importance of marine conservation.
Due to the complexity of the project, Aegean Rebreath developed interconnected and supplemental activities to minimize risks and ensure viability. Furthermore, each project pillar covered key areas that could introduce a new mentality at local level as well as a new approach identifying the added value of a healthy marine environment. By ensuring tangible results in each pillar the project reached its initial objectives and achieved structural transformation in the island.
Antiparos island reflects the coexistence of the traditional lifestyle and the island culture with the tourist industry. This reality, considering the alarming increase of tourists during the summer season, brings challenges in daily life and generates problems for the local society related to proper waste management.
In this context, one of the biggest challenges of the project was raising awareness among locals and tourists on recycling. Therefore, Aegean Rebreath established the first marine litter collection station (M.L.C.S.) that includes 4 stream bins with the necessary signing. The bins are located in an island-like, wooden structure, which was set up at the entrance of the port and operates as a special awareness hub for the island. The local community is informed on a regular basis about the amount and type of materials that are recycled from the M.L.C.S., so that they have up-to-date information. From the beginning of the program to the end of 2022, 21.355pcs of materials have been sent for recycling and 2.9 tonnes of fishing gear have been collected in the M.L.C.S. According to the municipal authorities, the M.L.C.S. further encouraged locals to set up bins for PET bottles, resulting in the collection of additional 31.770kg of PET within 3 years (until the end of 2021). Finally, the 3-stream bins made by bottle caps and placed on the beaches, which was another project component, collected 14.050 pcs recyclable materials within 3 months.
The successful example of Antiparos and the transformation of Antiparos island led to the expansion of M.L.C.S. to 16 more island/coastal municipalities as well as to the establishment of the Blue Municipalities Network that operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and the coordination of Aegean Rebreath. The network now consists of 18 municipalities and develops widespread activities for the protection of the marine environment.
The project mainly introduced two innovative concepts that aimed at promoting community involvement and changing approaches at local level.
The first concept included the establishment of the first Marine Litter Collection Station (M.L.C.S.) in Greece and E.U. in the island of Antiparos. In this context, Aegean Rebreath had to develop standard operating procedures and train the local community. Locals voluntarily constructed the M.L.C.S. while municipal authorities and the fishing community took over daily management, monitoring and data provision. It is also important to highlight the fact that no funds were allocated for the construction and the daily operation of the M.L.C.S., demonstrating that the local engagement was the key for achieving sustainability.
The second innovative project pillar involved the collection of 400 kg of bottle caps by the local community. By upcycling the caps, Aegean Rebreath and its partners produced 3 stream recycling bins that were placed on 10 beaches and 3 seaside catering businesses in Antiparos island. The initiative was proven successful in terms of raising awareness and motivating the local community and the visitors to actively participate and put more than 14.000 recyclable materials within the first 3 months.
Both initiatives introduced innovation on marine litter management and active engagement of the local community, which later resulted in expanding such activities to other islands and shaping a national model for the protection of the marine environment.
The implementation of the project followed a methodology that was based on 4 interconnected and complementary pillars aiming to turn a local practice into a national model.
The first step was the introduction of the concept of environmental democracy on a local scale. Environmental democracy is a term widely unknown in Greece and more specifically in the small islands, therefore there was an evident need to assess and discuss with the local authorities and exchange views on the issue. Then, AR invited locals and developed consultation with the civil society and the fishing community with the aim of identifying potential partners.
The second step involved the identification of local “champions” and the establishment of synergies with active citizens that could contribute to our efforts long-term. When this process was finalized, Aegean Rebreath organized seminars to provide further information and train the locals that expressed interest to support the establishment of the marine litter station and the implementation of other activities (clean ups, events etc.).
The third step included the establishment of the M.L.C.S. and its proper management. The municipal personnel and the fishing community had to ensure proper recycling and provision of data. In this context, Aegean Rebreath implemented widespread initiatives in the islands that included clean ups, research activities, info days, awareness events to further enhance the operation of the station.
The last methodology pillar involved the dissemination of the project outcomes that would demonstrate the significant contribution of the local society in the success story of Antiparos. After sharing the project outcomes, other islands that were facing similar problems expressed interest to develop similar activities resulting in the expansion of Aegean Rebreath work. A year after the Antiparos practice had generated a viable national model acknowledged by the Greek society and state.
One of the main objectives of the program was to turn a local practice into a national model, through the development of a methodology that could be replicated to other islands or coastal regions that face similar challenges.
As expected, the successful operation of the first M.L.C.S. in Antiparos, drew the attention of the neighboring islands that expressed interest in establishing similar facilities. A year later, six islands had developed the same concept. In 2021, our organization established in 16 municipalities marine litter stations that acquired the patronage of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Within a year the added value of the establishment of a M.L.C.S. and its operation as a hub for implementing numerous activities (clean ups, educational and research activities, awareness events) as well as the methodology in terms of transferability and efficiency were evident at local and national level.
The existing M.L.C.S.network resulted in the establishment of the Blue Municipalities Network that now counts 18 municipalities established and coordinated by Aegean Rebreath. This network also facilitates replication and transferability of methods, since members design, organize joint initiatives and exchange best practices. Moreover, the Blue Municipalities network results in the dissemination of the environmental democracy principles and the transferability of the blue economy approach. It is also important that the network is a vehicle to link local authorities and central government on marine environment issues and a mechanism that allows local communities to actively provide directions for policy-making at the local and national level.
Marine pollution is a global problem threatening our environment, health, societies and economies. Direct cost of marine pollution still varies, however underlying costs with regards to both marine and coastal activities are still unknown to most of the citizens.
Global challenges for environmental democracy are also evident. Public access to environmental information is still problematic, central governments still don’t publish information on the environmental compliance of individual operators, environmental impact assessments for proposed projects are vague, while there are numerous obstacles for challenging polluters or government decisions in court.
The project that took place in Antiparos island mainly focused on highlighting the cost of marine pollution to the local society, promoting the potential of the blue economy while communicating the need for enhancing environmental democracy.
In this context, the consultation developed with the local society aimed at informing, exchanging views and engaging citizens to actively participate in the design and implementation of an ambitious project, was perceived as a concrete step for the promotion of environmental democracy.
Similarly, the implementation of underwater and coastal cleanup activities along with the local practices that introduced the establishment of a marine litter station and of the bins made by plastic caps spotlighted the cost of marine pollution and the benefits associated with the circular economy.
The case of Antiparos shows that local practices can be further exploited with the aim of addressing global challenges and developing evidence based proposals and policies.
