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Plastic Free Zones are a concept on which Oceana has been working at a global level. They have become one of the centerpieces of Oceana’s Plastic Campaign and are defined as areas where single-use plastics (SUPs) are not supplied, commercialized or used, or the amountsof SUPs used has drastically decreased. These zones may include corporate offices, airports, schools, hotels, as well as beach bars, the beach itself, or even entire cities.
We believe that Plastic Free Zones could help to reduce the number of SUPs reaching the sea, and will lead by example by showing people an alternative: how a plastic-free world could look like. Since we know that all SUPs may end up in the sea, no matter how far in land they have been scrapped, these initiatives do not need to be restricted to coastal areas and can be implemented by communities themselves, governments or commercial establishments, whether individually or through their networks.
In fact, we know that these initiatives have been already put in practice in multiple locations. Here you can find some examples of existing Plastic Free Zones in Europe – including projects involving schools, canteens, beaches, towns or even islands – that serve us as an example and inspiration to keep on promoting the creation of new areas where SUPs have been phased out.
