The Position Paper, “Small Mediterranean Islands at the Frontline: Advancing a Just Transition to a Circular, Plastic-Free Economy” calls for an integrated island strategy with a clear focus on circular solutions. It provides clear policy recommendations while places islands in the epicenter of the European circular economy transition.
The most important recommendations of the paper are:
- Incorporate island-specific needs into EU legislation by introducing an “insularity clause”
- Provide dedicated funding for circular economy initiatives on islands
- Enhance local governance, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing networks
- Develop infrastructure focused on prevention, reuse-driven business models, recycling, deposit-return systems, and marine litter collection
- Implement island-level monitoring systems to track progress
Roadmap for Action:
- Short term: Integrate the outcomes of the Interreg Euro-MED LooP Zone into local policies and initiate pilot projects
- Medium term: Expand reuse and recycling infrastructure while strengthening sustainable tourism standards
- Long term: Fully align islands with EU waste management and climate objectives
Islands have the potential to serve as dynamic hubs for circular innovation—but this can only be realized with the right mix of policy support, funding, and coordination. It’s time to put these recommendations into practice and position islands at the forefront of the circular transition.
The paper was authored by Alessandro Miraglia (Team Leader, Networking, Partnership & Communication Facility at MedWaves) and Ignasi Mateo (Project Manager at Agència de Residus de Catalunya), with valuable contributions from Tea Kuzmičić (Udruga za prirodu, okoliš i održivi razvoj – Sunce, Ambre Badiqué (SMILO – Small Islands Organisation), Ramona Karuza (Vis Archipelago UNESCO Global Geopark) and Eleana Touloupaki (Aenaos Thalassa).
