Stakeholder Workshops Across the South Baltic: Local Collaboration for Cleaner Seas
The Circular Ocean-bound Plastic (COP) project has taken an important step in tackling marine litter by hosting stakeholder workshops in our pilot cities. These workshops brought together municipalities, researchers, industry, waste managers, harbour managers, tourism sector and local NGOs to identify pollution sources and co-create solutions tailored to each city’s unique challenges.
Engaging Local Stakeholders in the Fight Against Marine Litter
Understanding and addressing marine litter requires collaboration across sectors. The goal of these workshops was to ensure that local perspectives play a central role in developing effective and actionable measures to reduce ocean-bound plastic pollution in the South Baltic region.
Each workshop focused on:
✔ Defining potential sources of pollution from the perspectives of local stakeholders
✔ Brainstorming solutions to mitigate the most prevalent litter types
✔ Prioritizing key measures and outline next steps for action
At each session, partners from the COP project presented the preliminary results of the litter monitoring conducted in the project. Participants then reviewed and discussed potential sources and solutions for the top 10-20 most common litter items found in each site of study (river/estuary). These insights provided a strong foundation for meaningful discussions and solution development.
The COP project held three stakeholder workshops across the South Baltic region:
📍 Rostock, Germany – September, 2024
Hosted by Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW)
📍 Gdańsk, Poland – November, 2024
Hosted by Gdańsk Water Foundation, Gdańsk Sport Centre & University of Gdańsk
📍 Aarhus, Denmark – January, 2025
Hosted by Clean, with support from Ocean Plastic Forum & Plast Center Danmark
Key Findings: Common Litter Items and Sources
Despite regional differences, a clear trend emerged across all three cities – recreation and tourism are among the primary sources of marine litter in the pilot areas. The litter collected in Aarhus River reflects the busy city life that surrounds the river with single use plastic cups, paper bags, and food trays among the top litter items. In Gdańsk, beverage containers such as plastic bottles, cans, and glass bottles were among the most frequently found litter items, while in Rostock, cigarette butts and plastic packaging from tobacco products topped the list.
The identified litter sources reflected local infrastructure and behavior patterns. For example:
- Recreation and tourism was estimated as the biggest contributor in all cities, ranging from 30% to 39% of the litter sources.
- Waste management issues – such as overfilled bins and inefficient collection systems – were a concern in Aarhus and Rostock.
- Marinas and industry were more dominant sources in Gdańsk, reflecting its port activities and commercial sectors.
Proposed Solutions: From Local Actions to Systemic Change
The stakeholders in each city proposed a mix of immediate, practical actions and longer-term policy changes to tackle marine litter in their local area. Some of the key ideas included:
✔ Improving waste management infrastructure – such as installing storm-proof and seagull-proof garbage bins to prevent litter from being scattered.
✔ Regulating single-use plastics – for example, by introducing higher deposits on cups and bottles or even banning single-use plastic cups in nightlife areas.
✔ Incentivizing responsible behavior – with ideas such as reward programs for businesses and consumers who actively reduce plastic waste.
✔ Educational campaigns – to raise awareness among local communities and tourists, helping to foster long-term behavioral change, for example a “bring your own ugly-mug”-campaign
✔ Legislative advocacy – some stakeholders highlighted the need for new EU regulations to standardize materials and reduce unnecessary plastic production.
While some of these solutions are “low-hanging fruits” that can be implemented relatively quickly with limited resources, others require policy advocacy and long-term commitment at the municipal, national, and EU levels.
What’s Next?
The insights from these workshops will play a crucial role in shaping the COP project’s geospatial analysis report and final roadmap for reducing litter pollution in the Baltic Sea. By combining data-driven research with stakeholder expertise, we aim to develop practical, locally relevant, and scalable solutions to tackle marine litter at its source.
Thank You to Our Partners and Participants
We extend our gratitude to all stakeholders who participated in these workshops—your expertise and commitment are vital to shaping solutions that make a real impact!
The COP project is funded by Interreg South Baltic with funds from the European Regional Development Fund.