
REMEDIES is an Horizon Europe innovation Program creating innovative solutions and technologies to monitor, collect, prevent and valorise (micro)plastic from our oceans. Our approach is rooted in science, circularity, and community engagement aiming to protect water ecosystems, reduce pollution and develop a climate-neutral blue economy.
Through collaborative, participatory methodologies and citizen science activities we want to create a more plastic-conscious society. We provide opportunities for stakeholders to act, learn and contribute to a plastic litter free and zero-waste future. Moreover, REMEDIES will support, with mentoring, coaching and financial resources, regions to boost the deployment of plastic litter collection and valorisation schemes as well as to push towards the development of zero-waste supply chains through two open calls. We are inviting stakeholders from across the globe to join us in this mission. By working together, we can create a healthier, more sustainable future for our oceans.

REMEDIES is the first project selected from the newly created Horizon program EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters
European Union has launched a new Horizon Mission programme aiming to restore, protect and preserve the health of our ocean, seas and waters by 2030. The Mission is designed to deliver on the European Union’s 2030 quantified and measurable targets for protecting and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity with actions for zero pollution, and for decarbonisation as well as net greenhouse gas emissions reduction towards climate-neutrality, within the EU’s ocean, seas and waters. This Mission supports many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): in particular restoring our ocean and waters related actions will directly contribute to SDG 14 – Life below water and SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation, in addition to the SDG13 – Climate action.
National Institute of Chemistry, in cooperation with 21 pan-European and 1 organisation from Africa started an ambitious innovation action project, “REMEDIES – Co-creating strong uptake of REMEDIES for the future of our oceans through deploying plastic litter valorisation and prevention pathways’. The REMEDIES is the first project selected from the newly created Horizon program Mission: Ocean, seas and waters. The European Commission allocated a budget of 7.999.644,75 Euros under its Horizon Europe programme (HORIZON-CL6- HORIZON-MISS-2021-OCEAN-03) to monitor and collect plastic litter, as well as to lower the quantity of (micro)plastic in the Mediterranean sea.
The overall objective of the REMEDIES project is to attract public interest for deploying remedies of our seas. The efforts to monitor and collect plastic litter, as well as to prevent the generation of litter in the first place, should become mainstream and an everyday part of our lives. REMEDIES is thus aiming to create a trend of plastic prevention by exploitation of traditional and modern channels and with the help of citizen’s science fostering co-creation of participatory processes building a more plastic-conscious society. To reach this goal, we need to identify appropriate wording and target “pain relievers” of each relevant stakeholder. These REMEDIES will be reached through the following specific objectives:
- To monitor macro- and microplastic waste in 8 Mediterranean areas.
- To collect and valorise >422 tons of plastic litter.
- To prevent the further deposition of an equivalent of >61 tons of plastic.
- To reach >250,000 people and activate >2,000 citizens.
- To scale and replicate zero-waste innovations in ~50 more sites.

The REMEDIES consortium (see Figure 1) is coordinated by the National Institute of Chemistry from Slovenia and builds its innovation actions around the three main pillars of monitoring plastic litter, its collection and valorisation, including the prevention of the distribution of non-degradable plastics. Twelve (4 per pillar) breakthrough innovations with be showcased in the next four years as the project focuses on technology readiness level from validation and demonstration in relevant environment to system prototype demonstration in operational environment (i.e. TRL 5-7). All innovative solutions will be tested in 9 demonstration sites in 8 Mediterranean countries. After validation, they will be scaled up in 33 new sites in order to implement them across the whole Mediterranean (see Figure 2).

For our planet, the most promising aspect of REMEDIES is the activation of citizens, especially those affected by the plastic pollution directly on the shorelines. They will be informed, educated and guided to becoming plastic entrepreneurs. Through workshops and mentoring with deeply rooted knowledge base and the right tools they will be able to start their own businesses focused on valorisation of collected plastic litter and the provision of zero-waste solutions to all actors (see Figure 3). Moreover, two types of open calls will be launched in order to boost the deployment of plastic litter collection and valorisation schemes as well as to push towards the development of zero-waste supply chains that will enhance the prevention of plastic litter. The calls will provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants. As required by call topic conditions, financial support will only be awarded to local and/or regional authorities from an associated region. The 1st call for Collection & valorisation will be launched in September 2023 with a total budget €200.000 (cca 10 grants) and 2nd call Prevention & zero waste in March 2024 with a total budget €300.000 (cca 15 grants).
“REMEDIES – Co-creating strong uptake of REMEDIES for the future of our oceans through deploying plastic litter valorisation and prevention pathways” – HORIZON Innovation Actions – Prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas and waters (HORIZON-MISS-2021-OCEAN-03)
Project coordinator
National Institute of Chemistry | Slovenia
Project Partners
University of Maribor (UM) – UNI Slovenia
Alchemia-nova Greece (ANGR) – SME Greece
Clera.One (CLERA) – SME Slovenia
Wasser 3.0 (W30) – NPO Germany
Mold Srl (RC) – SME Italy
Bio-Mi (BMI) – SME Croatia
Cittadini (CIT) – SME Italy
Next Technology Tecnotessile (NTT) – RTD Italy
AITIIP (AITP) – RTD Spain
Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF) – NGO Italy
CIBOS Innovation (CIB) – SME Greece
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) – RTD Italy
Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO) – RTD Belgium
Small Islands Organisation (SMILO) – NPO France
Environmental & Territorial Management Institute (ETMI) – NGO Albania
Exit Foundation (EXIT) – NPO Serbia
National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) – UNI Greece
Marine Conservation Greece (MCG) – SME Greece
Impact Hub Athens (IHA) – NPO Greece
F6S Network Ireland Ltd (F6S) – SME Ireland
Mohammed First University (MOH) – UNI Morocco
Infordata (INFOR) – SME Italy
Project Status
Call: HORIZON-MISS-2021-OCEAN-03-01
Topic: Mediterranean sea basin lighthouse – actions to prevent, minimize and remediate litter and plastic pollution
Type of action: HORIZON Innovation Actions
Grant Agreement Number: 101093964
Overall project costs: € 12 015 448,75
EU participation: € 9 958 706,88
Granting authority: EUROPEAN CLIMATE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT EXECUTIVE AGENCY (CINEA)
Project starting date: 15 December 2022
Project end date: 14 December 2026
Project duration: 48 months
