The PLASTIC FANTASTIC Webinar Series is a structured educational initiative under the REMEDIES for Ocean programme, designed to support citizens, environmental practitioners, and local stakeholders in understanding and addressing marine plastic pollution across the Mediterranean.
The series combines scientific training, citizen science methodologies, and real-world innovation demonstrations, with a strong emphasis on practical engagement during coastal clean-ups and environmental monitoring activities.
Developed as part of the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign, the webinars form a connected learning pathway that gradually builds knowledge on plastic identification, recycling systems, monitoring methodologies, and technological solutions for marine litter detection and management.
Each session is co-developed and delivered by a consortium of partners including Impact Hub Athens (IHA) (programme coordination, outreach and engagement), the University of Maribor (UM) (plastic science, recyclability and conscious consumption), Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) (beach litter monitoring methodologies), and local demo site actors such as universities, municipalities, NGOs and environmental organisations. Across the series, innovation partners from the REMEDIES ecosystem introduce applied technologies such as mobile apps, AI systems, and river or coastal interception solutions.
The audience includes citizens, volunteers, NGOs, educators, students, local authorities, environmental agencies, and innovation actors working on coastal and marine sustainability.
Watch the PLASTIC FANTASTIC webinar on educational Plastic Identification & Beach Litter Monitoring:
The 1st webinar in Greece was hosted by Impact Hub Athens (IHA) under the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign in collaboration with Marine Conservation Greece (MCG) and All For Blue, linking to national initiatives such as coastal clean-up programmes and the #20TonnesChallenge, while the educational content was delivered by the University of Maribor (UM) on plastic types, recyclability, and environmental impacts, complemented by Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) introducing foundational beach litter monitoring methodologies; the demo site component focused on Greek Cyclades coastal realities and citizen-led clean-up practices without introducing digital technologies, and the session attracted citizens, NGOs, students, and environmental volunteers engaged in coastal protection activities.
The 2nd webinar in Italy (Sardinia) was hosted by National Research Council of Italy (CNR) within the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign and supported by local Sardinian coastal stakeholders working on marine litter monitoring, while the University of Maribor (UM) provided scientific training on plastic identification and material properties and Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) delivered structured guidance on beach litter monitoring protocols adapted to island ecosystems; the Sardinia demo site highlighted seasonal tourism-driven litter pressures and island coastal dynamics, with no new technologies introduced, and the webinar engaged environmental practitioners, NGOs, students, and local stakeholders involved in coastal sustainability.
The 3rd webinar in France was hosted by SMILO under the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign with participation from island and coastal stakeholders engaged in small island environmental management, while the University of Maribor (UM) focused on plastic classification and environmental persistence and Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) worked on harmonising monitoring methodologies for cross-country comparability; the demo site reflected SMILO-supported island contexts and coastal monitoring systems, with emphasis on methodological standardisation rather than technology introduction, and the audience included NGOs, environmental managers, researchers, and local authorities working on island sustainability.
The 4th webinar in Albania was hosted by Environmental & Territorial Management Institute (ETMI) together with a second local Albanian partner under the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign within the Albanian demo site framework addressing coastal and riverine pollution, while the University of Maribor (UM) and Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) delivered training on plastic identification and citizen science monitoring adapted to local contexts; the demo site presented Albanian coastal and river system activities and introduced the River Cleaning (RC) technology as a floating barrier technology for riverine plastic interception before marine entry, and the session engaged NGOs, local authorities, students, and environmental practitioners working on pollution prevention.
The 5th webinar in Morocco was hosted by Mohammed Premier University (MOH) and Ecoloplatform du Maroc du Nord under the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign within the Saidia demo site, while Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) led training on structured beach litter monitoring methodologies and the University of Maribor (UM) provided scientific framing on plastic identification and environmental impacts; the demo site presented operational monitoring activities and introduced the Shoreline Marine Litter App developed by Infordata and VITO for structured citizen science data collection and real-time reporting aligned with European standards, attracting citizens, NGOs, students, and environmental stakeholders involved in coastal monitoring.
The 6th webinar in Morocco was again hosted by Mohammed Premier University (MOH) within the Saidia demo site under the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign, while the University of Maribor (UM) delivered advanced training on plastic identification, recyclability, and consumption patterns and Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) supported methodological continuity across the series; the demo site showcased scaled monitoring activities and introduced an AI-powered drone-based coastal monitoring system developed by Mohammed Premier University (MOH) for aerial detection, mapping, and classification of marine litter hotspots using AI analysis, and the webinar engaged researchers, innovation actors, NGOs, students, and coastal management stakeholders focused on environmental monitoring and digital solutions.
The 7th webinar in Slovenia was hosted as a live seminar by the University of Maribor (UM) under the REMEDIES Anti-Litter Campaign within the Koper demo site framework, with the support of You(r)Sea Institute, ZRS Koper, Marina Izola, CLERA, Infordata, and National Institute of Chemistry Slovenia (NIC); the session combined training on plastic identification and marine litter science with the presentation of pilot activities at Marina Izola, showing how monitoring and prevention approaches are applied in a real coastal and marina context. The demo site introduced innovative REMEDIES technologies, including an underwater drone monitoring system used to map the seafloor and identify large plastic items, as well as a microplastic filtration system for wastewater generated through boat maintenance activities, designed to prevent microplastics from entering the marine environment. The session engaged local authorities, marina operators, researchers, NGOs, citizens, and other stakeholders working on marine litter prevention, coastal management, and evidence-based environmental action.
