LIFE BLUE LAKES

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Plastic is a growing source of pollution worldwide. Hardly decomposing, it remains in the environment for a long time, eventually splitting into smaller pieces such as microplastics (less than 5 mm in length). Microplastics accumulate in animal species through direct ingestion and get into the food chain, with potentially negative consequences for human health. Despite a large amount of literature on microplastics and their accumulation in marine environments, very little data is available on the presence of microplastics in freshwater systems and their effects on freshwater organisms. Monitoring plastic pollution in European rivers and lakes has been difficult, due to scarce data, a lack of sampling standards and no clearcut definition for microplastics. High levels of microplastic pollution have however been identified in lakes of different sizes, even in remote locations. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as a source of microplastic particles entering the aquatic ecosystem.

OBJECTIVES

The main goal of LIFE BLUE LAKES has been to prevent and reduce plastic waste in Italian and German lakes. The project applied an integrated approach to five lakes in Germany and Italy, combining governance, training, and information and awareness-raising activities. It contributed to both the EU plastics strategy and the circular economy action plan.

 

The projects specific objectives included:

• improving governance, management and decision-making processes concerning microplastic pollution in lakes (e.g., through a new support tool and suggestions on plastic waste treatment, discharge limits, monitoring programmes, wastewater treatment process improvements and awareness-raising initiatives);
• enhancing commitments to reducing the impact of their activities by local economic actors (e.g. industries, farmers, tourist operators) near the main lakes in Italy and Germany;
• reducing the spread of microplastics into lake basins from WWTPs through development and dissemination of a technical protocol for sewage treatment;
• establishing close cooperation between relevant industries to develop solutions that reduce and prevent additional primary loads of microplastics;
• raising awareness about the problem of microplastics of residents living close to the main lakes in Italy and Germany;
• influencing the political agenda at German, Italian and European level in order to improve the current regulatory framework tackling microplastic pollution in lake basins.

RESULTS

At its conclusion the project demonstrated to have surpassed its initial goals with significant achievements. In details:

1. The Lake Paper initiative involved 13 municipalities in Italy and 10 in Germany, with remarkable adoption and formal endorsements, exceeding the initial targets. The "Manifesto del Lago," a shorter version of the Lake Paper, was innovatively introduced and signed by 18 additional municipalities, further expanding the project's impact. In total, 20 Italian lakes and 54 municipalities have been informed about the Lake Paper/Manifesto, along with 14 municipalities around various German lakes.
2. It developed and implemented the protocol for monitoring plastic pollution in lakes, with comprehensive campaigns conducted in Bracciano, Trasimeno, and Piediluco lakes. 15 Regional and Provincial Environmental Protection Agencies were reached by dedicated trainings.
3. It created and validated The Technical Protocol of Microplastics Monitoring for Urban Water Service Infrastructure, as well as the guidelines for microplastics monitoring in water treatment plants. The project team organised training courses, reaching a total of 219 relevant stakeholders, among operators of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) from Italy and Germany, as well as lake managers, technicians, relevant NGOs, and community representatives (hence surpassing the target of 200).
4. It released informative factsheets for business stakeholders of different sectors (cosmetics, textiles, and tyres sectors) and used them in campaigns to raise the attention and awareness of companies and motivate their action and involvement in tackling microplastics spread in lakes. The project's secured MoUs from three textile companies and one cosmetic company, committing to address MPs within their product lifecycles, hence exceeding the target of engaging 3 major international companies.
5. It established a Panel to reach relevant policy makers and defined the lake white paper, which encompasses recommendations and operational proposals to improve the MP legislative Framework. This important instrument was showcased during a National Presentation Conference, held on 19 July 2023, which has seen a large participation important policymakers.
6. The ex-ante monitoring reports – namely, one for the Italian Regional Environmental Protection Agencies (ARPA), and one for Italian and German WWTPs – assessed the current status of MP monitoring. The ex-post report revealed that the Microplastic (MP) Monitoring Protocol, developed by ENEA, has been progressively adopted by Regional and Provincial Environmental Protection Agencies (ARPA/APPA) in Italy. While regular MP monitoring in freshwaters remains limited, with 4 ARPAs/APPAs actively applying the protocol and 2 more on the way to full uptake, there has been a notable increase in engagement compared to initial assessments. This reflected a growing interest among all ARPAs/APPAs in establishing monitoring practices, such as the ones tackled by the project's training initiatives and ongoing collaborations. The project has thus successfully laid the groundwork for enhanced microplastic monitoring across Italian water bodies, aligning with its objectives to improve environmental management and protection strategies.

All these results have been achieved also thanks to dissemination efforts, which have been vast and impactful, with a variety of awareness raising initiatives, ranging from educational materials and events to theatre exhibitions and school lessons. The project's visibility was further enhanced through the "Goletta dei Laghi" campaign and the "Lake Days" events, alongside numerous published articles, effectively disseminating the project's objectives and achievements.