From 19 to 22 October 2025, the island of Ischia hosted the fourth edition of the International Conference on Microplastic Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea (µMED 2025), gathering leading scientists, environmental researchers to address one of the most pressing challenges facing our seas. Among the participants was Venice Lagoon Plastic Free (VLPF), bringing the unique perspective of the Venice Lagoon to the international stage through its presentation “Turning ‘Ghost Boats’ into Blue Opportunities.”
The conference, organised by the Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials of the National Research Council (CNR), has become one of the Mediterranean’s most influential scientific forums on plastic pollution. Over four days, experts discussed the sources, fate, and impact of micro- and nanoplastics across marine, freshwater, soil, and atmospheric systems. They also explored the health implications of microplastic exposure and the latest innovations in green materials, waste valorisation, and mitigation technologies. The event’s interdisciplinary spirit reflected the complexity of the issue, bringing together chemists, ecologists, engineers, policymakers, and civil society actors in an open dialogue toward sustainable solutions.
Within this vibrant setting, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free contributed a distinctly local yet globally resonant story. Representing an ecosystem that is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fragile environmental mosaic, VLPF presented the results of its ongoing Ghost Boats program, an initiative that turns abandoned and decaying fiberglass vessels into a catalyst for circular innovation. These “ghost boats” — derelict watercraft left to deteriorate in the lagoon’s shallow waters — release microplastics, fiberglass fibers, and chemical leachates as they age, contaminating sediments and waters .
The study, developed in collaboration with the chemist Prof. Teresa Cecchi from ITT Montani and GEES Recycling in Friuli Venezia Giulia, applied a green analytical methodology to trace the volatile organic compounds released from decomposing fiberglass hulls. The results identified forty-three analytes, many of them related to polyurethane degradation, fossil-fuel volatiles, and biogenic compounds — a molecular fingerprint revealing the dual particulate and chemical pollution generated by abandoned boats. The analytical method achieved high sustainability scores (AGREE Prep 0.8; Analytical Eco-Scale 91), aligning with the principles of green chemistry and citizen science.
Beyond the scientific findings, VLPF’s presentation at µMED underscored how grassroots initiatives can complement institutional efforts under the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030.” In the absence of coherent European regulations for end-of-life recreational boats, Venice Lagoon Plastic Free has pioneered a participatory model that combines environmental restoration, industrial innovation and scientific investigation. Through partnerships with local SMEs and public agencies, dismantled boat materials are processed and transformed into durable, carbon-negative composite panels for use in furniture, urban design, and industrial products.
At the conference, Davide Poletto, director of VLPF, highlighted that the project demonstrates how civil society can generate measurable environmental improvements through applied science and collaborative governance. The approach blends rigorous chemical analysis with community engagement and entrepreneurship — a practical embodiment of the “blue circular economy.” The initiative has already gained European recognition, originating under the Horizon 2020 MAELSTROM project and now being extended through the Interreg IPA ADRION JOINABLE program, broadening its reach to the wider Adriatic basin.
As the conference concluded, delegates departed with renewed commitment to tackling the microplastic crisis through interdisciplinary collaboration. For VLPF, the next steps lie in consolidating partnerships, expanding lagoon sampling programs, and scaling the circular model to other coastal regions.