Our story

LooP Zone was born from a simple observation: even islands that look alike on the map face very different challenges when it comes to reducing single-use plastics in tourism. Instead of working in isolation, LooP Zone sees the opportunity to create something broader -a cross-border community where Mediterranean islands could test ideas, share results, and help each other move toward circular tourism models.

From the beginning, we understood that context matters. Local policies, waste systems, business readiness, and existing initiatives vary from place to place. That’s why LooP Zone brings together five territories, allowing each to experiment with its own solutions -whether tax incentives paired with reusable cup schemes or local regulations banning single-use plastic takeaway packaging -and learn from the successes and setbacks of others.

But real change also requires better products. Many single-use plastic alternatives are not as eco-friendly as they appear, especially when imported from far away. LooP Zone supports the creation and scaling of locally appropriate, truly sustainable alternatives, building a cross-border innovation network that strengthens local economies.

Our story is ultimately one of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. By connecting local and regional experts across the Mediterranean, LooPZone helps ensure that effective models can be adapted and applied in new contexts. This cross-border exchange strengthens the region’s capacity to reduce single-use plastics and supports a more resilient, circular tourism economy for Mediterranean islands.

The LooP Zone partnership is structured to ensure local action is informed with EU-level best practice, delivery on each island is led by local sector experts, and that the project is sustained and replicated. The consortium brings together 12 partners across six countries: 1) MedWaves, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for SCP (Hosted by the Waste Agency of Catalonia), ES –Lead Partner-; 2) Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management, BE; 3) Rezero Foundation, ES; 4) Formentera Island Council, ES; 5) Messina Foundation, IT; 6) Municipality of Malfa, IT; 7) Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development SUNCE, HR; 8) Vis Archipelago Geopark, HR; 9) Aenaos Thalassa, EL; 10) Dimos Skiathou, EL; 11) Malta Regional Development and Dialogue Foundation, MT; and 12) Zebbug Local Council, MT.

LooP Zone targets 5 islands with high levels of tourism, representing a significant part of their economy and with similar plastic-related waste and environmental challenges: Formentera (SP), Salina (IT), Skiathos (GR), Vis (HR), Gozo (MT). Tourist islands present specific comparable challenges, but they also present opportunities in being holistic ecosystems and economies, offering LooP Zone the opportunity to test a holistic approach to addressing the above barriers to support the transition to a circular and resource efficient local tourism economy.

LooP Zone’s associated partners have been selected both for their expertise and for their ability to support the project’s territorial sustainability and multilevel transfer:

• AO1 – The Small Islands Organisation (SMILO)
• AO2 – United Nations Environment Programme / Mediterranean Action Plan – Barcelona Convention Secretariat
• AO3 – Union Méditerranéenne des Confédérations d’Entreprises
• AO4 – Active New European Reuse Alliance 
• AO5 – Network of European Regions for Sustainable and Competitive Tourism
• AO6 – University Of Thessaly 
• AO7 – Agencia de Estrategia Turística de las Illes Balears
• AO8 – Federación Empresarial Hotelera de Ibiza y Formentera
• AO9 – Associazione Salina Isola Verde
• AO10 – Cittá Metropolitana di Messina
• AO11 – Camera di Commercio di Messina
• AO12 – Grad Komiža
• AO13 – Turistička zajednica grada Komiže
• AO14 – Regionalne razvojne agencije DUNEA
• AO15 – Skiathos Hoteliers Association
• AO16 – Heritage Parks Federation
• AO17 – Osservatorio sul Turismo delle Isole Europee
• AO18 – Fundación Save the Med