The Island of Porquerolles, France is one of the REMEDIES Demo Sites dedicated to Prevention and Zero Waste, with a focus on beach litter monitoring and regenerative local value chains as alternatives to plastic. Located in the Hyères Islands archipelago and part of Port-Cros National Park, Porquerolles combines high ecological value with strong seasonal tourism pressure. With around 200 inhabitants, approximately 1 million tourists per year, and a high-season visitor cap of 6,000 people per day, the island is working to balance tourism, conservation, and sustainable local development.
As a Demo Site, Porquerolles is testing a local zero-waste model that includes bio-waste management, refill water fountains, additional sorting containers, the reduction of single-use plastic items, studies for improved plastic waste management, training and awareness campaigns, and support for a micro-industry line producing alternatives from local waste, especially giant reed. The site aims to design and test reusable and sustainable items for the island’s shops, restaurants, and hotels.
A short visual introduction to Porquerolles Demo Site
Porquerolles has also been a reference point for wider island-focused learning within REMEDIES. During the REMEDIES workshop at the SMILO Meet-up on Îles du Frioul, experts and stakeholders discussed the specific plastic waste management challenges faced by islands of less than 150 km², including waste reduction at source, efficient collection, recycling, and recovery strategies. The workshop, co-organised by REMEDIES, emphasised tailored solutions that respect the limitations and environmental sensitivities of small island communities, directly aligning with the type of approach being tested in Porquerolles.
Community action has been central to the Porquerolles Demo Site. On 3 July 2024, Explore & Preserve, in collaboration with SMILO, organised a beach clean-up at 3ème Courtade Beach. The two-hour action covered 100 metres of coastline and involved 25 volunteers, who collected 28 kg of waste, including 6 kg of plastic litter. This action was later expanded through the wider SMILO and Explore & Preserve Anti-Litter Campaign in France, which combined clean-ups, educational sessions, technology showcases, community engagement, and circular economy solutions.
From 17 to 19 January 2025, SMILO and Explore & Preserve carried out beach clean-up operations along the French coastline, including Fond de Baie, Port Man Beach, Palud Beach, South Beach in Port-Cros, 3ème Courtade in Porquerolles, and Grottes Beach in Le Levant. Across the three days, 62 participants cleared more than 1,207 metres of coastline, collecting 163 kg of plastic litter and 74 kg of other waste.
In January 2025, the site was featured in the 3rd PLASTIC FANTASTIC Webinar, France Edition, organised by REMEDIES with SMILO, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF), the University of Maribor (UM), and Impact Hub Athens (IHA). The webinar focused on plastic identification and management, with emphasis on plastic and microplastic challenges, recyclability, clean-up monitoring methods, and REMEDIES tools for categorising plastic waste during clean-up actions. A dedicated presentation on the island’s work is available in the video Updates on the Porquerolles REMEDIES Demo Site: A Model for Sustainable Island Management.
From 1 to 3 April 2025, Porquerolles hosted a major three-day REMEDIES event, combining the 6th REMEDIES General Assembly, the 5th REMEDIES Cluster Meeting, a Solutions Forum, and field action. The 5th Cluster Meeting on Porquerolles Island focused on strategies and solutions for a plastic-free Mediterranean, including local and regional deplastification actions, plastic-free alternatives, sustainable waste management, and cooperation across Mediterranean actors. The recording is available through the Porquerolles Cluster Meeting video.
The Porquerolles event also contributed to the wider REMEDIES Open Days series, which connects Demo Sites and Associated Regions through local action, technology demonstration, community engagement, and innovation. In Porquerolles, the Open Day combined policy dialogue, partner exchange, and a clean-up and monitoring session at La Courtade Beach, showing how REMEDIES tools can support both local participation and field-based monitoring.
The Demo Site’s focus on replacing plastic with locally grounded alternatives was further developed through the 4th REMEDIES Policy Workshop on local value chains as alternatives to plastic, organised by SMILO in collaboration with MedWaves and Beyond Plastic Med. The webinar, held on 8 April 2026, brought together Mediterranean island stakeholders to explore whether local resources or unused waste streams can become sustainable alternatives to plastic products. It connected regulatory frameworks, including the Barcelona Convention, regional marine litter management plans, the international plastic treaty, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, and the Single-Use Plastics Directive, with practical examples such as seaweed-based capsules, closed-loop reusable systems, atmospheric water generation, straw-based alternatives from France and Greece, and objects made from date palm residues.
Porquerolles’ work also fed into broader Mission Ocean discussions. At the 3rd European Ocean and Waters Forum in Brussels on 4 March 2025, REMEDIES presented its plastic monitoring, collection, and zero-waste solutions across eight Mediterranean demonstration sites. SMILO contributed to discussions on small islands and eco-conscious tourism, linking the Porquerolles experience with wider efforts to scale Mission Ocean solutions across regions, demonstration sites, investors, enterprises, and local authorities.
The Porquerolles approach was also reflected in the 8th REMEDIES Cluster Meeting in Athens on 4 May 2026, where SMILO presented REMEDIES solutions on local zero-waste value chains. The meeting connected Mediterranean action with wider research, policy, and practice discussions on emerging contaminants, nitrates, EU Mission synergies, and collective strategies for healthier seas and waters.
In November 2025, the Demo Site update highlighted underwater plastic pollution and fishing-net valorisation through Palana Environnement’s work near Porquerolles. After an abandoned fishing net was identified near the island, Port-Cros National Park assessed the site and called on Palana. A mixed team of four Palana divers, two Park divers, and one local fisher removed the net, preventing further accidental catches and helping protect gorgonians in the area. Although the net was too damaged to be recycled, the operation showed how divers, fishers, associations, and public authorities can cooperate to protect Mediterranean marine ecosystems.
Together, these updates show how Porquerolles is becoming a living example of sustainable island management within REMEDIES: reducing single-use plastics, testing local alternatives, engaging residents and visitors, improving clean-up and monitoring practices, linking science with public action, and protecting marine ecosystems from beach litter, microplastics, and abandoned fishing gear.
