Mersin Metropolitan Municipality was selected under REMEDIES Open Call 2 with Unite for Plastic-Free Mersin Coasts! (Up-FreeCoasts), an eight-month initiative designed to reduce plastic waste generation, strengthen recycling, and promote circular plastic use through a practical zero-waste approach. The project combined four main pillars: plastic waste collection, recycling, educational activities, and coastal clean-up campaigns.
Implemented in one of the city’s most visible coastal areas, the Adnan Menderes coastline, the project installed six custom-designed plastic collection bins, six public drinking water fountains, and a photovoltaic-powered Smart Waste Vending Machine at the MERCAN Climate and Environmental Science Centre. A Caretta caretta-themed plastic bottle collection cage was also introduced, turning marine conservation into a visible public symbol. The smart vending machine was introduced for the first time in Mersin through this project and helped motivate citizens to collect plastic waste and participate in recycling activities.
The project also created a small circular loop for collected materials. Plastic bottle caps were transformed into flowerpots through an injection moulding machine and distributed to citizens together with compost pouches, while other collected plastics were delivered to licensed recycling facilities. The installations and collection systems are planned to remain operational beyond the project, with the municipality continuing maintenance and using collected materials to produce items such as flowerpots, keychains, or emergency whistles for educational activities at MERCAN.
Education was a central part of Up-FreeCoasts. Through interactive sessions at MERCAN, 1,318 young people aged 6 to 18, from 35 schools, learned about waste separation, recycling, composting, and zero-waste practices. These sessions included hands-on interaction with the solar-powered Smart Waste Vending Machine, helping connect daily habits with practical circular economy solutions.
The project also mobilised citizens directly through coastal clean-up events. Six beach clean-ups were organised with the participation of 182 volunteers from 11 institutions, including public bodies, civil society organisations, NGOs, and student groups. These actions strengthened cross-sector cooperation and helped establish a shared local responsibility around the protection of Mersin’s coasts. The activities were also presented through REMEDIES updates on Unite for Plastic-Free Mersin Coasts, the REMEDIES Open Day in Mersin, and the wider REMEDIES Open Days across the Mediterranean.
Communication and public visibility significantly exceeded the original targets. The municipality published 13 news articles, 17 social media posts, and 15 videos, directly reaching more than 14,000 people during the implementation period. The project was also promoted through municipal channels, local media, on-site branding, and large public events such as the International Mersin Children’s Festival on 23 April 2025. Its basketball hoop-shaped collection bins, inspired by the colours of the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality professional basketball team, connected environmental awareness with sports culture and everyday urban life.
The closing event gathered 74 participants from institutions, media, and stakeholder groups, supporting institutional learning and future replication. The project demonstrated a practical and visible model for circular plastic management in a busy urban coastal zone, combining infrastructure, youth education, recycling technology, clean-ups, public participation, and municipal ownership. Its experience was also shared through REMEDIES’ presence at the 3rd European Ocean and Waters Forum in Brussels, contributing to the wider Mission Ocean conversation on scalable solutions for a plastic-free future.
