đź“ŤRostock, Germany
At the 12th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Cyprus in June 2025, Mona-Maria Narra from University of Rostock presented a poster on behalf of the Circular Ocean-bound Plastic (COP) project, showcasing the results from our pilot area in Rostock, Germany.
As part of the COP project, Rostock was selected as one of three pilot areas to test innovative solutions for preventing plastic pollution in the Baltic Sea. In the past year, in collaboration with the University of Rostock and the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, the project has collected and analysed macro litter from the Warnow River, a key waterway flowing into the Baltic.
The poster highlights the COP project’s approach to tackling ocean-bound plastic pollution in the South Baltic Sea by combining data-driven analysis with practical prevention and collection solutions. In Rostock, 91% of collected waste was plastic—most of it directly linked to everyday consumption such as cigarette butts and snack packaging. The pilot also tested PortBins, surface-level collection devices designed for urban waterways.
Key findings show that 91% of the collected waste was plastic, with most items directly linked to human consumption—such as cigarette butts, snack wrappers, and plastic bottle caps. Notably, local events like Hanse Sail caused a dramatic spike in litter, emphasizing the importance of targeted waste prevention strategies.
The pilot tested the use of PortBins, electric-powered collection units that capture floating litter from the water surface. These proved to be effective tools for collecting plastic waste in urban waterways.
đź“Ą You can view the poster presentation and download the full poster below.