Presenting CLEAN Beach at the final conference of Interreg BSR project BALTIPLAST in Finland

In December 10-11 2025 the final conference of Interreg Baltic Sea Region project BALTIPLAST took place in Turku, Finland. Over the course of two days, researchers, local government representatives, environmental activists and students met to share their project discoveries, solutions, goals and visions for the future. The range of topics discussed was wide – from the use of recycled materials in construction, nanoplastics pathways in living organisms to the study of plastic pollution in the Baltic Sea and the practice of organizing zero-waste public events. Representatives of municipalities from Helsinki, Tallinn, Västerås, Valmiera and Daugavpils shared positive examples and as well as challenges.

During the conference Marta Barone, researcher at Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology and coordinator of CLEAN Beach project, shared the positive experience gained in the project involving the public in collecting research data. The common goal of all projects was to create a more positive vision of the future with less plastic pollution. The organizers of the BALTIPLAST conference emphasized that the event wrapped up with a clear take-away message – solutions are no longer hypothetical. They have been tested, put into practice and are ready for wider implementation. The supporting network is stronger than ever and if this momentum continues, the Baltic Sea will not only recover, but become a model for regional cooperation in circular economy and community-based environmental initiatives.

More about the project here: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/baltiplast/