Aegean islands look to break their dependency on plastic bottles
Every year Greece’s Aegean islands go through tens of millions of plastic water bottles, as the islands look to accommodate not only the needs of local residents, but also millions of tourists. This has transformed these communities into some of the biggest consumers of plastic. This dependence on bottled water inevitably impacts the environment, as much of this plastic ends up in the sea. Greece’s government has taken steps to wean the islands onto more sustainable water sources, such as by constructing desalination plants and pipelines, but challenges remain. Journalists Peter Schwartzstein and Alexander Clapp join The Greek Current to discuss their recent piece that looks into Greece’s dependency on plastic bottles, its environmental impact, and the steps that are being taken to address this problem.
Peter Schwartzstein is an environmental journalist covering the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Alexander Clapp is an Athens based independent journalist.
Read their piece in Bloomberg here: Greece’s Popular Islands Are Crowded — With Plastic
You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:
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