Implemented as part of the REMEDIES Open Day, the demonstrations took place across two major events: the Bridge Conference and the Welcome Day of Sea Star Festival, which gathered over 48.000 visitors over four days. Together, these activities provided an opportunity to engage both industry professionals and festival visitors with practical, scalable solutions for reducing single-use plastics through reuse systems, digital tools, and circular resource management.

Demonstrating the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE System at Sea Star Festival

The Welcome Day of Sea Star Festival provided the ideal setting to demonstrate how circular systems can be integrated into real festival environments without compromising visitor experience.

Festival-goers enjoyed HEINEKEN beer served in the REMEDIES bio-based reusable cups. Designed as an alternative to conventional single-use plastic cups, the reusable cups form a core component of the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system.

Beyond the cups themselves, visitors were introduced to the broader circular ecosystem behind the solution. The demonstration showcased how reusable products can be supported by dedicated operational infrastructure, including collection points, washing and sanitisation processes, and digital monitoring tools that facilitate cup circulation and reuse.

A key element of the system is the REMEDIES Deposit Return System (DRS), developed by CIBOS Innovation. Through a simple QR-based mobile application, festival-goers scanned and returned their reusable cup to the collection points, while the event organisers monitored distribution, exchange, and return rates. By combining reusable products with digital traceability, the system helps improve operational efficiency and encourages user engagement in circular practices.

The demonstration highlighted how festivals can significantly reduce waste generation by replacing disposable products with reusable alternatives supported by efficient collection, washing, and redistribution processes.

Engaging Stakeholders at the Bridge Conference

But we did not stop there. We also joined the Bridge Conference, one of Europe’s leading events connecting professionals from the music, technology, and creative industries.

At the REMEDIES information booth, participants had the opportunity to learn more about the PLUG & PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system and its role in supporting the transition toward more sustainable event management.

Our team presented the environmental benefits of bio-based reusable cups, explained the operation of the Deposit Return System, and demonstrated how digital technologies can support circular business models within the events sector.

The conference provided a valuable platform for dialogue with festival organisers, event professionals, innovators, and decision-makers interested in adopting sustainable practices. Discussions focused not only on reducing plastic waste but also on the broader opportunities created by circular systems, including resource efficiency, user engagement, and the development of local circular value chains.

For us at alchemia-nova Greece, the Bridge Conference was an important opportunity to demonstrate how sustainability solutions can be embedded into the future of cultural and creative events.

Find out more about PLUG AND PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE.

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.

At alchemia-nova Greece, we contribute to this transition by transforming policy objectives into real-world solutions. Through the PLUG-AND-PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE system, which we developed and demonstrated within the REMEDIES project, we showcase how bio-based materials, circular design and water-smart technologies can work together to deliver tangible impact in public spaces, events and tourist hotspots.

What the EU bioeconomy strategy calls for

The updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy focuses on three interconnected pillars:

• Replacing fossil-based materials with renewable, bio-based alternatives
• Keeping resources in use for as long as possible through circular systems
• Deploying sustainable, local solutions that protect ecosystems and support climate resilience

Achieving these goals requires more than innovation in materials alone. It demands integrated systems that address production, consumption, reuse, water and energy use, while actively involving citizens and end-users. This is exactly the challenge we aspired to address through the PLUG-AND-PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE.

PLUG-AND-PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE: A circular system in action

PLUG-AND-PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE is a container-based, modular system that enables the shift from single-use plastics to reuse at scale. It combines bio-based reusable products with an on-site cleaning infrastructure, creating a closed-loop solution that is easy to deploy and adapt to different contexts.

By focusing on high-volume items such as 0.5L beer and water, zero-waste cups, the system targets products responsible for a disproportionate share of event-related waste. This aligns directly with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy’s goal to redesign products and systems to prevent waste before it is created.

Circularity does not stop at materials. Cleaning and maintaining reusable products requires water, a resource that is increasingly scarce, especially in Mediterranean regions. This is where vertECO® technology plays a critical role.

vertECO® is an innovative water recovery and treatment technology, which is integrated into the PLUG-AND-PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE infrastructure and enables on-site treatment and reuse of greywater, significant reduction in freshwater and energy consumption, and closed-loop water management.

By treating and reusing water locally, vertECO® supports the EU Bioeconomy Strategy’s emphasis on efficient resource use, ecosystem protection and climate adaptation, particularly in water-stressed urban and coastal environments.

Developed within the REMEDIES project, the system responds directly to one of the most visible sources of plastic pollution: disposable cups and bottles used at festivals, events and coastal destinations.

REMEDIES provides the framework to show that bioeconomy solutions are not just theoretical concepts, but practical systems that can be deployed today to reduce pollution, protect ecosystems and support sustainable tourism.

The EU Bioeconomy Strategy will only succeed if innovation reaches everyday life. Systems like PLUG-AND-PLAY 2 ZERO WASTE demonstrate how:

• bio-based materials can replace single-use plastics,
• water can be reused safely and efficiently,
• circular infrastructure can operate locally and at scale,
• citizens can actively participate in the transition.

By integrating products, infrastructure and behaviour into one solution, we move beyond isolated interventions and toward systemic change.

In response, a bold European initiative is transforming how the city adapts to a hotter future: Cooling Havens: Water-Powered Neighbourhood Cooling and Engagement Stations. This innovative project introduces water-sensitive urban design, green infrastructure and citizen engagement into the city’s core not j,ust to cool the air, but to reshape how Athenians live, learn and care for their environment.

Why Athens Needs Cooling Havens

Athens consistently ranks among Europe’s most heat-vulnerable cities. Its built environment, where more than 80 % of surfaces are impermeable, traps thermal energy, creating intense urban heat islands. Historic rivers once providing natural cooling are now buried beneath infrastructure, removing essential elements of the natural water cycle.

The consequences are tangible: heatwaves with temperatures above 40 °C, limited natural cooling from vegetation and water, and fragmented short-term mitigation measures that leave vulnerable communities without adequate relief.

Cooling Havens tackles these challenges head-on by bringing water and green back into the urban fabric as functional elements of everyday public space and climate resilience.

What Makes Cooling Havens Innovative

1. A Network of Blue-Green Cooling Points

Across Athens, the project will create six permanent Cooling Points, combining rainwater gardens, bioswale wetlands, and water recovery systems. These features work synergistically to:

• reduce local temperatures by approximately 2–5 °C during heatwaves
• retain more than 70 % of intense rainfall for later use
• Restore ecological functions that were long absent from the urban environment
  

2. Water Recycling and Sewer Mining

One of the project’s standout innovations is the use of sewer-mining technology to reclaim wastewater for irrigation and water features. This technology operates as a proof of concept for sustainable water reuse in dense urban contexts, transforming wastewater from an under-utilised resource into a cooling and biodiversity-supporting asset.

3. Smart Monitoring and Data Transparency

Each Cooling Point is embedded with IoT sensors that continuously track temperature, humidity, water use and air quality. These sensors feed into an Open Data portal, enabling both policymakers and citizens to visualise real-time environmental data and make informed decisions. Advanced analytics and AI optimisation help manage water and energy flows efficiently.

4. Community Co-design and Participation

Cooling Havens integrates residents at every step, not only as beneficiaries, but as co-creators of solutions. Through participatory workshops in every neighbourhood, the project invites locals to help shape designs, share needs and priorities, and cultivate a shared sense of ownership. Over 4,000 citizens are expected to participate directly, making this one of the most participatory climate resilience projects in Europe.

5. Education and Cultural Engagement

The project fosters a new water culture by offering:

• The Athens Water School with educational pathways for students and residents
• The Digital Water Memory Lab with storytelling workshops and data experiences
• Public art and narrative projects that explore water’s role in local heritage.

These activities go beyond awareness. They build long-lasting connections between people, water and places.

Conclusion: Water, Community, and Urban Resilience

Cooling Havens reimagines urban life where water, greenery and people coexist in ways that reduce heat, manage water sustainably, and strengthen civic engagement. It transforms neglected public spaces into cool havens of comfort, resilience and learning, while planting seeds for a culture of responsible water use.

As extreme heat and climate impacts intensify, projects like Cooling Havens demonstrate that smart design, community collaboration and nature-based innovation are not optional, they are essential for the future of resilient cities.

Find more information about the project here.