This was our goal when, last month, we installed the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system at Tsaf Tsouf Summer Camp, bringing an integrated reuse system to a community of thousands of children.

For us at alchemia-nova Greece, this implementation is particularly significant, as it is the first time that the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system has been introduced to such a large community, and especially to a community of children.

From 8 July to 12 September, thousands of children use the REMEDIES bio-based reusable cups every day, learning through practice how a cup can be used many times before becoming waste.

A summer camp already investing in reuse

Tsaf Tsouf Summer Camp is located in Orfani, in a 53-acre coastal area near Kavala. It is a children’s summer camp with 30 years of experience and a strong commitment to social inclusion and accessibility.

During the summer season, it hosts approximately 4,000 children, including around 150 children with disabilities, as well as 300 adults with disabilities and approximately 200 staff members.

Our collaboration did not start from scratch. For years, the camp has been implementing practices aimed at reducing the consumption of single-use products. Children and staff are encouraged to use their own water containers, while reusable cups are already used in the dining area. At the café, the use of reusable containers is also encouraged through incentives, such as a free morning coffee and a 50% discount on the next purchase.

The implementation of the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system was the next step in this effort.

PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE in numbers: less waste, greater impact

For the implementation of PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE, approximately 2,000 REMEDIES bio-based reusable cups are being used, with the capacity to cover up to 200,000 servings.

Since their introduction into the camp’s daily operations on 8 July, the cups have been used every day to serve tap water, replacing thousands of potential uses of disposable products.

However, for a reuse system to work within a community of thousands of people, reusable products alone are not enough. An organised process for collection, washing and redistribution is also needed.

For this reason, we installed the dedicated portable infrastructure of the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system, including three washing machines and the vertECO® system, to ensure the daily availability of clean cups directly on the camp premises.

The infrastructure enabled the management of the cups and the provision of clean cups twice a day, supporting the smooth operation of the camp. Two members of the dining staff were responsible for operating the system, which was integrated into the daily routine without requiring any changes to the existing facilities.

Environmental and economic benefits

• In just 67 days, the implementation of the system contributed to the reduction of approximately 800 kg of plastic waste. Imagine the impact of such an implementation over an entire year!
• At the same time, the camp reduced its operational costs by approximately €5,000 by limiting the need for disposable products.

These figures show that reuse can generate both environmental and economic benefits. Instead of continuously buying, using and throwing away new products, we can create systems that keep resources in use for longer.

Children become part of the change

The most interesting aspect of this implementation is the users themselves. For the first time, PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE is reaching such a large community of children and young people.

Through a simple daily habit—taking a cup, using it, returning it and seeing it used again—children become familiar with the concept of reuse without having to learn about it through a lesson or a theoretical presentation. In this way, the circular economy becomes part of their everyday lives.

And this experience can continue beyond the end of the summer camp season.

When the younger generation becomes familiar with reuse through practice, the change does not stop with the child. Children can bring new habits to their families, schools and communities, acting as small multipliers of a culture of reuse.

Through the eyes of the children

The first impressions from the camp staff have been particularly positive. Group leaders and dining staff told us:

“The children drink more water.”

“They have stopped bringing their thermos bottles to the dining area.”

“Finally, dry plastic cups!”

These simple observations show how a new solution can influence the everyday experience of its users. Reuse does not need to be complicated. To become part of everyday life, it needs to be practical, easy to use and able to work under real-life conditions.

A new collaboration with real impact

Our collaboration with Tsaf Tsouf Summer Camp marks the first implementation of PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE in a real-world environment, responding to the needs of a large community.

The implementation at Tsaf Tsouf gives us the opportunity to see how a reuse system can operate at scale and generate measurable environmental and economic benefits.

But perhaps the most important outcome of this collaboration lies in the everyday habits that are being created, as thousands of children are becoming familiar with a different way of thinking:

We don’t use something once and throw it away.
We use it again.

And perhaps this simple experience can be the first step towards a new generation that sees reuse not as an alternative option, but as a common practice and part of the culture of its community.

As the implementation continues until 12 September, we will continue to follow the users’ experience and the impact of the system.

Stay with us for more updates!

Note: The PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system was developed within the framework of the REMEDIES project, with co-funding from the European Union. The development of this innovative solution has enabled its application in real-life settings, including the implementation at Tsaf Tsouf Summer Camp.

Sources:

Press Release: Νέοι κανόνες της ΕΕ για μείωση, επαναχρησιμοποίηση και ανακύκλωση συσκευασιών.

In collaboration with the Greek microbrewery Blame the Sun, we combined local entrepreneurship, sustainable consumption, and digital innovation to raise awareness around reusable systems and plastic waste reduction.

Bringing circular solutions into everyday experience

Rather than discussing circular economy concepts only through presentations and meetings, we invited REMEDIES partners to actively engage with the reusable cup system developed within the framework of the project.

Throughout the event, we served beverages from Blame the Sun brewery in the REMEDIES Zero Waste cups, allowing participants to experience firsthand how circular consumption models can be integrated into real event environments.

Through this initiative, we demonstrated how festivals, conferences, and public gatherings can move away from single-use plastics by adopting practical reuse systems supported by smart digital tools.

The REMEDIES DRS: Supporting reuse through digital innovation

An important part of the experience was the REMEDIES DRS (Deposit Return System) mobile application, developed by our partner, CIBOS Innovation. The application enables the tracking of reusable cup distribution, swapping, and return during events through a simple QR-based system.

Using the app, participants were able to:

• register and associate with the event campaign,
• access a personal QR identifier,
• participate in cup exchange activities,
• and monitor their personal reuse statistics in real time.

The system supports three core exchange functions:

• Distribute – receiving the first reusable cup,
• Swap – exchanging a used cup for a clean one,
• Collect – returning the cup at the end of use.

By combining reusable products with digital traceability and user engagement, we showcased how technology can facilitate behavioural change and improve the operational efficiency of zero-waste systems.

Building local collaborations for systemic change

Our collaboration with Blame the Sun highlighted the importance of involving local businesses in the transition toward circular and sustainable event models.

As a local Greek microbrewery with a strong identity and community-oriented philosophy, Blame the Sun helped us create an authentic and engaging experience that connected sustainability with local culture and social interaction.

At the same time, this initiative reflected one of the key principles behind the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system developed within REMEDIES: building local circular ecosystems where innovation, businesses, communities, and users actively participate in reducing waste generation.

From awareness to adoption

By demonstrating the REMEDIES Zero Waste cups and DRS system during the General Assembly, we enabled REMEDIES partners to explore not only the technical aspects of the solution, but also the user experience and practical implementation challenges of reuse systems in real event settings.

We believe that pilot actions like this are essential for testing scalable alternatives to single-use plastics and encouraging broader adoption across festivals, tourism destinations, and public events throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region.

At Alchemia Nova Greece, we believe that meaningful change happens when circular solutions become visible, practical, and easy to use. Through collaborations like this, we continue working toward cleaner events, reduced plastic pollution, and healthier ecosystems through innovation, participation, and local action.

Figure 1: Map of Athens basin showing the river network, the built areas (a) and the municipality administrative limits (b) (Diakakis, et al. 2016)

Today, much of Athens’ hydrological network lies hidden beneath the city (Figure 1). Yet, it continues to influence flooding patterns, water availability, and the overall resilience of the urban environment. Both Kifissos and Ilissos continue to flow underground as small streams during drying periods, but can turn into strong torrents when heavy rain falls, often resulting in flooding. Only small sections of Eridanos become visible in the historic center of Athens.

How Athens became a climate hotspot

Athens rapid urban expansion demanded extensive built infrastructure that dramatically altered its relationship with water. The city grew into a largely grey landscape incorporating asphalt and concrete (Figure 2). Phasing out vegetation and soil spaces, Athens deprived its capacity for natural cooling and compromised the landscape’s ability to act as a “sponge” that absorbs rainwater. Lacking vegetation and permeable ground, heat stress in the city is also amplified. When summer heat waves strike Athens, the heat island effect intensifies, causing temperatures to rise up to 3.5 ℃ above average (Founda & Santamouris, 2017). Satellite data (Figure 3) show that the city experiences surface temperatures up to 10–12°C higher in dense, paved areas compared to nearby green spaces (Sangam, 2025).

Figure 2: Athens -Green ESM 2016 Urban Green Areas and served areas (Pafi et al., 2016)

Parks, micro-forests, and green corridors act as ‘hubs’ and ‘links’ that help clean the air, improve the local microclimate, and support biodiversity in the city. However, green spaces in Athens cover only 0.4 km², about 2.8–3% of the municipality’s area. This means that each resident has access to just 2–2.5 m² of green space on average, far below the 9 m² per person recommended by the WHO (Papageorgiou & Gemenetzi, 2018). During peak summer days, this uneven distribution favors high temperatures, often exceeding 40°C, posing serious threats to public health.

Green areas with substantial vegetation remain significantly cooler. Parks and vegetated areas can reduce surface temperatures by 4–6°C on average, providing noticeable cooling even during heatwaves (Sangam, 2025). Rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, and prolonged droughts have disrupted vegetation and local biodiversity, leaving many green spaces weakened or abandoned. Athens’ reliance on traditional greening and underground drainage networks has reduced its capacity to tackle the effects of climate change and its severe impacts.

Figure 3: Raw satellite image of Athens on the Left, with a Heat Stress Index Analysis on the right. (0=cool, 1==worst) (Sangam, 2025)

Transforming conventional parks into cooling havens

The Cooling Havens project goes beyond simply planting trees or rebuilding park gardens. It proposes “a new kind of urbanism that thinks and acts beyond the traditional nature/culture divide” (Council of Europe, 2021). Cooling Havens tackles the complete loss of surface water flows in Athens, through nature-based interventions working together to reduce heat stress, enhance urban comfort, and improve residents’ quality of life. Six Cooling Points have been selected to demonstrate how nature-based solutions (NBS) can support resilient landscape architecture practices in Athens and promote long-term sustainability.

What are Nature-Based Solutions?

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are approaches inspired by nature that address urban challenges while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits. They are increasingly recognized as among the most effective strategies to address climate change, both for adaptation and mitigation, and are considered to strengthen urban resilience through locally adapted, resource-efficient interventions (European Commission, 2021).

Technically, NBS use wetlands, green roofs, urban forests, or rain gardens to restore water, reduce heat, and support biodiversity simultaneously. Compared to conventional green infrastructure, they can withstand, adapt to, and recover from shocks like climate disasters, while ensuring long-term sustainability. They support not only water drainage, but also retention, infiltration, reuse, and evapotranspiration, that is, the total amount of water transferred to the atmosphere from the soil surface (evaporation) and through plants (transpiration), restoring basic processes of the natural water cycle.

Figure 4. Rain garden example, adaptation made by the author.

Imagine rain gardens (Figure 4) that collect rainwater and filter it through layers of soil and plants; bioswales that guide excess water through shallow, planted channels, where it can seep into the ground rather than divert it into drainage pipes; permeable pavements that enable rainwater to reach the soil and recharge it, and landscape design aquatic planting beds that can temporarily store stormwater during heavy rainfall, easing pressure on drainage systems and preventing flooding.

Why NBS matter for cities like Athens

Particularly in highly constrained environments like Athens, NBS offer the potential to deliver multiple ecosystem services simultaneously. By mimicking natural processes, they can protect and regenerate abandoned green spaces, enhance biodiversity, improve air and water quality, and create more livable urban environments. Unlike traditional infrastructures, they are cost-effective, with low-maintenance needs (European Commission, 2021). They depend on regular monitoring and preventive maintenance. Routine inspections are important to allow early detection of issues such as plant stress, sediment accumulation, erosion, or blockages.

The role of communities in nature-based strategies

However, NBS success depends strongly on the local context, including environmental conditions, urban form, community needs, and stewardship. Community engagement is essential, not only for the co-design process and the impact evaluation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), but also to foster awareness, community stewardship, and a sense of shared responsibility through collaborative and co-productive approaches. The knowledge and experience of local stakeholders are necessary to help identify relevant outcomes, understand community needs, and support data collection.

Addressing these challenges early helps prevent system failures and avoids the need for more complex and costly interventions in the future. Achieving this, however, requires interdisciplinary collaboration, long-term planning, and a shift away from conventional urban planning approaches.

Towards a cooler, more resilient Athens

Athens stands at a critical turning point. As climate pressures intensify, conventional urban infrastructure and engineering solutions fail to reduce the risk of future disasters. Addressing heat, water scarcity, and flooding requires more than isolated interventions. It calls for integration of nature-based solutions into land-use planning for sustainable development and, overall, a systemic shift in how cities are designed and experienced.

By reconnecting urban environments with natural processes, nature-based solutions offer a pathway forward to transform Athens into a more resilient, livable, and climate-adaptive city.

Through its pilot sites, the Cooling Havens project demonstrates how this transition can take shape in practice, combining innovation, community engagement, and ecological design. These interventions are not only about cooling spaces, but also about redefining the relationship between people, nature, and the urban landscape.

In a city shaped by water for millennia, the future of Athens may once again depend on learning how to live with it.

Authors:
Maria Troullou, Co-founder, COO, MA in Cultural Studies & New Technologies
María de Lourdes Angeles Topete, Landscape Architect, MSc in Environmental Sciences & Policy
Polymnia Dagtzidou, Co-founder, CEO

References

Council of Europe (2021). Report “Urbanisation, town planning and landscape” and draft recommendation. 11th CE Conference on the European Landscape Convention, Strasbourg, 26-27 May 2021. CEP-CDCPP (2021) 6E. Available at: https://rm.coe.int/11th-council-of-europe-conference-on-the-european-landscape-convention/1680a249d8

Diakakis, M., et al. (2016) ‘Flood fatalities in Athens, Greece: 1880- 2010.’, Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 47, p. 1407. Available at: https://doi.org/10.12681/bgsg.10962.

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission) (2021) Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions: a handbook for practitioners. Publications Office of the European Union. Available at: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/244577

Founda, D. and Santamouris, M. (2017) ‘Synergies between Urban Heat Island and Heat Waves in Athens (Greece), during an extremely hot summer (2012)’, Scientific Reports, 7(1), p. 10973. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11407-6.

Pafi, M. et al.(2016) Measuring the Accessibility of Urban Green Areas: A comparison of the Green ESM with other datasets in four European cities. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2788/279663.

Papageorgiou, M. and Gemenetzi, G. (2018) ‘Setting the grounds for the green infrastructure in the metropolitan areas of Athens and Thessaloniki: the role of green space’, European Journal of Environmental Sciences, 8(1), pp. 83–92. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14712/23361964.2018.12.

Sangam, A.C., et al.(2025) ‘From Above the Acropolis: Satellite Analysis of Vegetation and Urban Heat in Athens’, IAAC BLOG, 25 April. Available at: https://blog.iaac.net/from-above-the-acropolis-satellite-analysis-of-vegetation-and-urban-heat-in-athens/ (Accessed: 14 March 2026).

Stroszeck, J. (2021) ‘Water and Water Management’, in D.K. Rogers and J. Neils (eds) The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World), pp. 110–123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108614054.009.

Hosted at 45m2 Gallery, the exhibition created the perfect setting for a unique collaboration: the integration of our PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system into a contemporary art experience.

Redefining the event experience

The exhibition culminated in a vibrant closing party on Saturday, April 4, where we served guests beer in our reusable, zero-waste cups and immersed them in the concept of closed-loop use of resources. Our closing party aimed at exactly this: to demonstrate real-life how the entertainment sector can transition from linear consumption to circular systems without compromising the visitor experience.

By embedding our zero waste system into a cultural event, we showcased that circular solutions are practical and scalable, behavioral change can be intuitive and enjoyable and that sustainability initiatives can enhance the event experience.

A collective effort

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who made this experience possible: the visitors who embraced a new way of consuming, artist Dimitris Marinis for transforming infrastructure into art, and the 45m2 Gallery for hosting and supporting this initiative.

Together, we created a glimpse into the future of sustainable events, where culture, community, and circularity come together seamlessly.

Addressing those challenges requires more than technological innovation or policy reform. It requires active societal participation. This is where citizen science comes in.

At alchemia-nova Greece, citizen science is not an add-on activity. It is a core methodology embedded in the European projects we participate in, namely REMEDIES and Cooling Havens. Through these initiatives, we work alongside citizens to generate data, test solutions, and co-design climate-resilient environments.

What is citizen science?

Citizen science refers to the active involvement of the public in scientific processes, from data collection and monitoring to co-creation, testing, and validation of solutions. Importantly, citizen science transforms people from passive observers into active contributors to climate action.

At a European level, citizen science is recognized as a driver of climate change mitigation and adaptation, uptake of Nature-based solutions (NBS), transitions to circular economy, protection of biodiversity and democratic participation in the Green Deal. Especially, under frameworks such as Horizon Europe, citizen engagement is embedded in research and innovation policy. By involving citizens directly, the EU aims to ensure that climate solutions are not only scientifically sound, but socially accepted, scalable, and impactful.

Citizen science in REMEDIES: Tackling plastic pollution together

A key pillar of the REMEDIES project is to engage citizens as environmental stewards and data contributors to reduce plastic waste and drive behaviour change. By involving communities directly, plastic pollution becomes a shared responsibility.

Through structured protocols and open-access tools, citizens participate in:

• Beach litter monitoring: Using standardized methodologies and digital applications, volunteers collect and categorize marine litter at the Shoreline Marine Litter App. The data contributes to a larger Mediterranean dataset, supporting evidence-based policymaking.
• Microplastics from washing machines: Citizens follow a scientific protocol to recover and quantify microfibers released from synthetic textiles during washing. This makes the invisible problem of microplastics measurable and relatable.
• Zero-waste innovation testing: In activities such as the Zero-Waste Seaweed Coatings for Cosmetics demonstrations, participants test biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastic packaging, while their feedback provides valuable insights into usability, acceptance, and behavioural change.

Citizen science in Cooling Havens: Co-designing urban microclimates

Climate adaptation in cities cannot succeed without local knowledge and public participation. Through Cooling Havens, we contribute to the creation of microclimatic refuges in Athens using blue and green infrastructure and nature-based solutions.

Residents are not simply “consulted.” They actively shape interventions that influence their daily comfort and wellbeing. This participatory model strengthens local ownership, social cohesion, long-term maintenance and viability of the new infrastructures and trust between municipalities and communities.

When climate adaptation is co-designed, it becomes embedded in everyday life.

From participation to transformation

Citizen science is more than data collection. It is a governance innovation. It empowers individuals to understand environmental systems, see the impact of their behaviour, contribute to building solutions, and influence local and European policy frameworks.

At alchemia-nova Greece, we view citizen science as a bridge connecting science, design, and everyday life.

Through projects like REMEDIES and Cooling Havens, we demonstrate that when citizens become collaborators, climate action becomes tangible, local, and transformative.

The environmental transition cannot be delivered to society. It must be built with society. And citizen science is one of the most powerful tools to make that happen.

The final conference organised by the HYDROUSA consortium, celebrating the projects huge success is launching on the 7th of June and until the 9th. The conference gives the opportunity to any interested parties to present their Circular solutions and published innovations.

For more info WICC

By putting on stage the pioneering role of promoting circular economy practices in Greece, across Europe and the Mediterranean, a series of innovative circular solutions with the power to drive positive change were presented, inspiring visitors to discover what circular economy is all about and how to achieve it.

Different audiences were engaged and fruitful discussions emerged at the specially designed Horizon Europe info-stands dedicated to the holistic systemic approaches to municipal wastewater treatment and reuse within project HYDROUSA and zero-waste cosmetics at project REMEDIES. At the same time, nature based solutions such as Greta the water treatment green wall, LooPi the nature based all gender urinal and Aeroplant the air purifying system, captivated visitors eye and raised interest from important stakeholders. Last but not least, B2B meetings were realized and new possibilities emerged for collaboration and R&D with professionals and experts from different industries and sectors.