NGO Green Home, in cooperation with NGO Association of Young Ecologists (DMEN), NGO Regional Development Agency – Ulcinj Business Association RDA-UBA, and NGO ECOM implements the “Low plastic Zone” initiative.

As part of the initiative, we will implement an awareness campaign, continuously provide support and include at least 750 businesses from the HORECA sector (catering facilities, hotels, restaurants and cafes) in Montenegro, in the Low plastic zone.

The goal of the initiative is to significantly reduce the use of single-use plastic products, such as: plastic bags, bottles, straws, plastic cutlery (spoons, forks, knives, plates), plastic cups, plastic coffee stirrers, etc.
The reason is the fact that the pollution of the waters of the Adriatic Sea has become a serious regional challenge for the countries of the Western Balkans and the EU, which open onto the Adriatic Sea. In addition to threats to ecosystems, the increase in the amount of plastic waste in rivers and along the coast is a threat to economic activities such as tourism and fishing, as well as to the health and well-being of the citizens of the region. About 90% of the waste found in the Adriatic Sea is plastic waste. Of this, about 35% comes from recreational activities on the coast, while 65% comes from the land. According to estimates, 100-150 million tons of single-use plastic products are produced every year, of which about 8 million tons end up in seas and oceans.

Due to all of the above, through this initiative, we will dedicate ourselves to the education of the HORECA sector in order to reduce the use of single-use plastic products, thereby achieving a smaller amount of waste that results from their use and ends up in the Adriatic Sea.

The Low Plastic Zone initiative is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.