Ibiza, 8 May 2026 – Plastic Free: Zero Waste Alliance Ibiza and Formentera participated this week in an international meeting in Morocco to advance the fight against plastic pollution in the Mediterranean. IbizaPreservation represented the Alliance in the BeMed Community Days in Marrakech, after Plastic Free was selected by Beyond Plastic Med as a “laureate” in its 2025 call for micro-initiatives. The Monaco-based association, also known as BeMed, supports projects to reduce plastic pollution across the Mediterranean through funding, technical support and the creation of collaborative networks among local actors.
The Towards Zero Waste Islands project, promoted by (Ma) and Plastic Free: Zero Waste Alliance Ibiza and Formentera, was one of 12 initiatives chosen from over 70 international nominations submitted throughout the Mediterranean region to receive technical and financial support.
The project aims to help Ibiza and Formentera become one of the top ten zero-waste islands in the Mediterranean by 2030. In addition to organizing practical workshops with the Councils and Town Halls of Ibiza and Formentera, the Alliance – made up of Amics de la Terra, Associació de Voluntaris d’Eivissa, APAEEF, Creatives for the Planet, Fundació Deixalles, Gen-Gob, Ibiza Limpia, IbizaPreservation, (Ma), and the platform ¡Hay Soluciones! Para el Vertedero – recently led a research mission to Sardinia, a pioneering island in waste management.
The Alliance’s presence in Marrakech is in line with its mission to share knowledge and address the problem of waste generation by participating in international networks and coordinated actions with the public sector, private sector and civil society.
The meeting, held from 5th to 7th May, brought together organisation from different countries in work groups, knowledge-sharing experiences, and collaborative spaces. Key issues were addressed, such as the reduction of single-use plastics, development of reuse models, certification of zero waste initiatives, and strengthening political and social advocacy in the face of the plastic crisis. Participants also worked to consolidate the BeMed Community of Practice, a network that seeks to strengthen collaboration between projects, identifying common priorities and improving the governance of initiatives in the coming years. This approach is especially relevant in the context of the Mediterranean, where many territories share the same major environmental challenges posed by marine pollution from plastics.
Inma Saranova, director of IbizaPreservation – a member and main funder of the Plastic Free Alliance – highlighted the strategic importance of these types of meetings: “Being part of this Mediterranean community allows us to position Ibiza and Formentera within a broader movement that is redefining how we address plastic pollution. Sharing lessons learned and strategies with other territories is essential to accelerate effective solutions adapted to island contexts like ours.”
For her part, Sofia Ribas, founder of (Ma) and coordinator of Plastic Free, underscored the value of the recognition: “Being selected by BeMed reinforces the work we have been promoting for years from the Alliance. The recognition and co-financing of ‘Towards Zero Waste Islands’ allows us to consolidate an ambitious roadmap for Ibiza and Formentera to move towards real models of waste prevention, reuse, and reduction. Furthermore, the BeMed network provides real added value by facilitating access to specialised knowledge, proven experiences, and Mediterranean partnerships that can strengthen the practical application of our project.”
